This Could Be Something
by forgetmeknot
Summary: The worst war in wizarding history has just begun. Is love the only thing that can save Avery and Harry?
1. Chapter 1

This Could Be Something

_**Before I start this story I would like to just clarify somethings. First, I am writing this assuming that you have read the book series already. If you haven't then you may be a little bit confused. **_

_**Second, I am just going to start off with a short background so that everyone can meet the character and stuff. After I've done a little bit of an introduction to the series (it may be 2 or 3 chapters) I'm going fast forward to when all the characters are older so that I can move the story along a little bit... or it'll just take forever to go through the first few years.**_

_**Lastly, this is my first fanfiction on this site and I haven't written one in a lonnnnnng time so bare with me while I get more comfortable!**_

_**Please rate and review (that would be super helpful so that I can see what you guys like and what needs some work) **_

_**Lastly, (again...), I'm writing this from a British perspective, meaning that the main characters are British. I am not British so forgive me if I use American phrases!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

_**_**NOTE: THIS HAS BEEN UPDATED SLIGHTLY SINCE POSTING! Just Avery's necklace!**_  
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Before we begin my story, let me introduce myself to you. My name is Avery Alexander. I live in Manchester with my grandmother and my younger brother, Dylan. My parents had died when I was three years old, and Dylan was just two. My story begins when I was just eleven years old, and just entering year 7 at St. Paul High School. I had known all my life that there was something slightly different about me from the other children at school though I wasn't really sure what it was. I wasn't the only one that noticed my oddities. In fact, it was one of the first things that people noticed about me. The other kids were rather mean about it and I was bullied a fair amount at school. For this reason I usually kept to myself and didn't really have any friends. There was Jessie, a girl in my class who didn't really have any friends either with whom I sat with at lunch but we really only sat together to avoid the bullies. I couldn't really call her a friend. So that just left me... alone.

I wasn't completely alone obviously. My gran and my brother were there. I was extremely close to my brother and we tended to spend most of our time together – playing, imagining, laughing.

Now that you have a little bit of background, let's start my story.

The bright summer sun was streaming through my window as I lay in bed. At this point, I had pulled my comforter over my head, completely to block out the glaring light. I knew that anytime moment now my grandmother would be knocking on the door to wake me up, so I tried to take advantage of the last few minutes of peace before the day began. Unlike most days though, today was special. It was my eleventh birthday. I didn't really care for my birthday, as I didn't have any friends to celebrate with, so it would just be the same as every year. Gran would wake me up in the morning with breakfast in bed (pancakes and bacon). After breakfast I could be able to open my gift and then the day would go on... just like any other day.

Like clockwork, there was a soft knock at my door and Gran peeked her head into my room. I smiled back at her tiredly and sat up in bed. She was carrying a tray of pancakes and bacon and my brother was carrying a glass of orange juice.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart. This is a very special birthday!" Gran said and gave me a kiss on the cheek. She placed the tray on my lap and I thanked her and my brother. As I ate happily, Gran left the room for a minute and came back with a small, wrapped package. I quickly stuffed the last bites of pancake into my mouth and set the tray aside. She handed me the box and I quickly ripped off the paper. Inside was a small jewellery box. It was the first piece of jewellery I had ever received so I was actually excited. Inside the little box was a small silver necklace with a tiny, green glass ball on it. The glass pendant was a light, leaf green. I looked at it in awe and my Gran helped me clasp the chain around my neck. Normally I didn't like girly things like necklaces but this one seemed to fit me perfectly.

"This was your mother's when she was a girl," Gran said, wiping away a tear. After thanking Gran again, she left so I could get ready for the day.

As it was the summer holiday at the moment, so I didn't have to prepare for school or anything. I went down the stairs when I was ready. I noticed some mail through the slot, so I picked it up while I passed the door. I absentmindedly flipped through the letters. Bill...bill...bill. However, the very last envelope caught my eye. It was quite a bit heavier than the other ones. There was a red seal on the back.

"Hmm... who is sending Gran letters?" I muttered. However, the biggest surprise came when I glanced at the name on the envelope. It was my name, not Gran's. I sat down at the dining room table and peeled open the seal. Inside were several thick pieces of paper. I pulled out the stack and started reading.

_ Congratulations on being accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. _

The rest of the letter stated that the term began on September 1st and that a list of books and supplies were enclosed. My hands were shaking slightly as I continued to read the letter twice more. None of it made any sense. I assumed automatically that it was some kind of prank by some of the kids at school. Just as I had finished reading the letter a third time over Gran walked into the dining room. She immediately noticed the thick stack of parchment in my hand. She sat beside at the table. I looked up and noticed tears glimmering in her eyes.

"Gran, what's the matter?" I asked, wiping away one of the tears as they ran down her face.

"I knew it would happen for you ask well. I didn't want to say anything in case it didn't, but I knew it would!" she said, taking my hands into hers. I still had no idea what was going on.

"What would happen for me?" I asked.

"There are a lot of things I haven't told you, Avery. I think I need to explain a few things to you so that you'll understand. My daughter – your mother – was a witch. It is difficult to believe but it is the truth. I am not a witch so I was quite shocked when my daughter got a letter on her eleventh birthday claiming to be from a magical school. I thought it was some kind of prank by some of the boys down the street. However, a few minutes later a man appeared at our door. His name was Albus Dumbledore. He explained that witches and wizards were real, as well as werewolves, vampires and unicorns. It took some convincing but eventually Penny and my believed him. There was no denying it. It also explained a lot about my daughter... how she had managed to grow back her hair after I had chopped it all off... why that glass vase exploded one time when were fighting... so many things. It was amazing. Albus Dumbledore explained how to get her supplies and then she was off to Hogwarts. She attended for seven years before graduating."

I was staring at my grandmother as if she was crazy. I mean, obviously this was joke. Witches and wizards? Werewolves and vampires? I was about to interrupt but she stopped me.

"I also haven't been truthful about your parents' death. I told you that they were killed in a plane accident, but in reality they were killed by an evil wizard."

There was silence for a few seconds. Though it all sounded ridiculous to me, I couldn't imagine my Gran pulling a joke like this one me – especially one involving my parents. I also noticed that the tears had started to flow a little more freely. My own eyes started to prickle.

If what my Gran was saying was true, and somehow I could no longer doubt her sincerity, it would change everything. I finally managed to find my voice.

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" I whispered.

"Well as I am not magical, I wasn't sure if it would happen for you as well. I was worried that if I told you all about the world of magic and then it didn't happen for you, that you would be crushed. I know you showed a few signs but I wanted to be sure before I explained everything to you. Please forgive me, Avery. I really just wanted what was best for you," she said, while wiping away a few more tears.

I believed that Gran had kept this information from me to protect me so I couldn't be angry. I got up from my seat and hugged her. After breaking away from the hug I realized that I still had some more unanswered questions.

"So what does this mean? Am I going away to this Hogwarts place? And where do I get my supplies? And how do we pay for it all?" There were hundreds of questions that were threatening to burst out. My grandmother could probably tell this as she started to laugh.

"Well, yes. This means that you will be going away to Hogwarts. Your mother thought it was an amazing place and I'm sure you'll love it as well. We'll have to go to Diagon Alley to pick up your supplies tomorrow. And as for money, your mother left you a small inheritance of wizarding money which we can go pick up tomorrow!"

I was trembling with excitement. After I finished talking to Gran about the next day's trip, I reread my Hogwarts letter about twenty more times before having to eat lunch.

That night I fell asleep to images of great wizards and witches in my head!

_**Thanks for reading! :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

The next couple weeks were a whirl wind. The day after finding out about my being a witch, my grandmother and I went to a fascinating place called Diagon Alley. The first stop was the Wizarding bank called Gringotts. This was a my first experience with magic and it was shocking. The entire bank was filled with strange looking men. They were very short and had pointed ears. My grandmother whispered that they were goblins. She presented them with a key and we took off in a cart under the bank to vault 576. Inside were piles and piles of coins. Gran explained the coins to me. The little bronze coins were called knuts, the silver ones were sickles and the large gold coins were galleons. I filled a little coin purse with a handful of each type and went off the buy my supplies.

We got all the supplies that were listed on the letter I received. I was shocked that there were actually stores for these things. Our first stop after Gringotts was Ollivander's, which was a wand shop. According to the strange man behind the counter, the want chooses the wizard, whatever that is supposed to mean. He made me try out several different "wands", which really just looked like twigs to me. After trying out six wands, I was starting to get frustrated. He presented me with another wand to try out and instantly I noticed a difference. There was a tingling sensation in my fingertips. I waved it as I was instructed and little gold sparks flew out of the tip! I nearly dropped the wand in surprise, but I collected myself and managed to keep my grip.

After that interesting experience, we headed to get my school uniform. It was just black robes, which I found strange, but figured that it must be normal for wizards. We spent the afternoon wandering from shop to shop, picking up various required materials. The last stop was Eeylops Owl Emporium. Gran insisted that I get an owl so that we would be able to write each other during the school year. After a quick look around the store I immediately spotted the owl I wanted. He was a small, grey owl and I decided to name him Chester. A few minutes later Gran and I emerged with my new owl and the rest of my supplies.

The rest of the summer passed by extremely slowly as I anxiously awaited my departure to Hogwarts. I was a little worried about leaving my family but I knew that it would be alright. I was significantly more worried about meeting the other students. I assumed that most of them would already be able to do magic though my grandmother had explained that I was not allowed to do magic outside of school. I was also worried that I would get picked on as I was at my old school.

Finally, after nearly driving myself insane with anticipation it was the day that I was to catch the train to the school. Gran and Dylan took me, along with my trunk and owl, to Kings Cross Station. I glanced at my ticket but realized that there was a mistake.

"Gran, this ticket is wrong. We need to go get it checked!" I said worriedly, knowing that the train would be leaving soon. Gran glanced at the ticket and chuckled.

"Avery, it's the right platform number. Platform 9 3/4! You just have to walk through the barrier between platform 9 and 10. It's very simple; just make sure you don't hesitate or you'll crash into it!" As Gran explained, I started to panic. I hadn't realized that I would have to do magic already! Now I would never even get to see Hogwarts! Just as I started to panic though I glanced over at the barrier. There was a family of redheads standing beside the barrier with a little boy with black hair. I hurried over to the barrier to try and catch a glimpse of someone else going through. The mother was advising the little boy with black hair about what to do. Clearly, he was as nervous as me, but with a determined look he took his cart and started to sprint toward the barrier. Just as I thought he was about to collide with the brick, he disappeared. I was startled but realized that it was not as hard as it sounded.

We approached the barrier and waited until all the redheaded children had jogged into the barrier before they went through. I was still nervous but I closed my eyes and charged forward. A few seconds later I opened my eyes and there was a gleaming, scarlet train before her. I grinned broadly as I saw all the families hurriedly hugging their children and warning them to behave well. I hugged her grandmother and Dylan quickly and hurried to the train. Closer to the door someone helped me store my trunk and owl cage, and I continued onto the train.

I wandered down the long row of compartments, wondering where I should sit down. Finally I found an empty one and settled myself down. A few minutes later I heard a noise at the door. The black haired boy from the platform was standing there.

"Would it be alright if I sat here?" He asked politely.

"Of course!" I replied, happy to have some company.

"I'm Harry. I'm going into first year. What about you?" He asked.

"My name is Avery," I replied. "Though you can call me Ava. I'm also going into first year!" I was excited to meet someone in my year! Gran had explained that there were four houses at Hogwarts. I could already tell that I would get along with the Harry boy, and I was hoping we would be in the same house. Harry and I talked for a few more minutes before there was a knock at the compartment door. There was a boy on the other side also wanting to sit with us. He was one of the redheads from the platform as well, whose name I later found out was Ron Weasley.

The three of us talked for quite a while. Judging by Ron's reaction to Harry's name, Harry was some kind of celebrity. I was a little bit confused so I just quietly listened. Ron asked to see Harry's scar, which turned out to be a faint lightening bolt shaped scar above his eye. After Ron had finished gushing, they turned to me and asked about my parents. I decided to tell them the truth and explained the whole story, about my parents dying and that I had only learned about magic a few weeks ago. I decided to leave out the part about how my parents were killed by some un-nameable evil wizard. After we talked about Ron's family. Apparently, he had six siblings, all of whom had been in Gryffindor house at Hogwarts. I was starting to really like the two boys and I really hoped we were all put into the same house.

An hour into the journey, a bushy-haired girl entered our compartment looking for a toad. Her name was Hermione. She seemed bossy, and I wasn't sure that I really liked her. I decided to stick with Ron and Harry for now.

Eventually the fun train ride had come to an end and Harry, Ron and I headed off the train. We were directed to small boats at the edge of a black lake but a giant man that Harry seemed to know. His name was Hagrid. After all of us had gotten settled, the boats began to glide over the water and I was able to get my first glimpse of the magnificent castle of Hogwarts. It was bigger than any building I had ever seen, even on television. As we approached the end of the boat ride, we were shepherded into the castle by a rather severe looking woman, named Professor McGonagall, who told us to wait to be sorted.

There were four long, rectangular tables that were occupied by the upper-year students, all waiting to see which house we were sorted into. I was the very first name to be called, so I stumbled to a stool and Professor McGonagall placed a grubby looking hat on my head. Before I knew what was happening, I heard a whisper in my ear.

_Well, smart I see. Very smart! You would do very well in Ravenclaw. But also brave. Perfect for Gryffindor. What a difficult decision. It will have to be GRYFFINDOR!_

My heart leaped as I jogged over to the table and sat with the rest of the Gryffindors! I was happier than I remember being. Soon, Ron and Harry were sitting beside me as well! It was only the first day and I already had made friends and was going to in all my classes with them as well!

The only thing that I was not happy about was that that bossy girl from the train was in our house as well, and was sitting with us. She kept reciting facts about the school that she had read in a book. I did have to admit though, some of the information was fascinating.

After a fantastic meal, we all headed to our dorms. I was in a room with Hermione and three other girls. We all went to be immediately as classes began early the next morning.

_**So, just letting you know that I am speeding through this section so that I can get on with the story! It'll get better soon!**_

Before I knew it, it was already almost November. Ron, Harry and I were getting along great. It was the first time I had real friends and I was having a blast!

As the end of October rolled around, the professors and students began to prepare for Halloween. I had never really celebrated Halloween before, but apparently in the wizarding world Halloween was a big deal. The castle ghosts were taking turns floating out from behind corners to scare students and Peeves the Poltergeist was periodically dumping water on the heads of unsuspecting students.

Regardless, this was looking like it was going to be the best Halloween I had ever had. Harry, Ron and I were sitting in the Great Hall, waiting for the traditional Halloween feast to begin. Ron was complaining about Hermione, as usual. Earlier that day, Ron and Hermione had gotten into a fight about the pronunciation of a spell they were learning in Charms class. Needless to say, it ended in Hermione storming off to the girls bathroom and locking herself in.

I didn't really mind so much, honestly. She was rather annoying, though I did feel a little bad, as I had experienced the same treatment at my old school. As Ron continued to vent, I decided to go and check on her. I knew that she would probably just complain about Ron the entire night, but I decided to get into the Halloween spirit and go see her.

"Hermione! The feast is about to start!" I called from the door.

"Go away! I'm not coming out of here!" She yelled back. I suppressed an eye roll but walked to her stall and knocked on the door.

"Come on! It's going to be great! And it's your first Hogwarts Halloween! I'm sure you don't want to miss it!" I called back. Just as I was sure she was about to respond, the ground shook. My first instinct was that it was an earthquake and that I should look for a door frame, but it stopped after only a moment. Just as I thought it was over, I felt the the ground shake again. If I didn't know any better, I would almost guess it was footsteps.

Hermione's stall door opened slowly and we both stood there listening to the terrifying thumping noise. Suddenly the door of bathroom swung open, and there stood a beast that I had never seen before. It was green, and slimy and was carrying a wooden club.

"Ava, it's a troll!" Hermione cried and we both rushed into the stall and bolted the door. The troll smashed the stall with the club and Hermione and I were just barely able to make it out.

The bathroom door opened again, and there stood Harry and Ron. Suddenly, before I knew it, the troll's club was levitating over it's head. It was confused for a moment before Ron released the spell and let the club hit the troll in the head.

He fell down and his eyes closed.

"Is it dead?" Hermione whispered. Just as she spoke, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape ran into the bathroom. They seemed horrified by the sight of the unconscious troll and awarded us house points for our work.

After that day, Harry, Ron, Hermione and I became the best of friends. It's probably impossible to have an experience like that and not be friends afterwards.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hey! Chapter 3 is now up! I am now going to sort of fast forward the story a couple of years. Please keep in mind that I am assuming that you have read the book series already, so if you're confused about something and haven't read the books, then that is probably why! **_

_**Thanks for reading!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

It had been nearly four years since the incident with the troll. Since that night, the four of us had been inseparable. Now, it was the summer before our fifth year began and we were just as close!

I was sitting in the backyard of the grandmother's house and reading one of my textbooks. Even though there was nearly a month left of summer, I had decided to get a head start on my homework. It was hard to concentrate though. My mind kept wandering back to Hogwarts and my friends. The weather was so nice today. I could imagine playing Quidditch with Ron and Harry in the Weasley's backyard. Usually by this time I was staying with Ron's family, but this summer was different.

I guess I should explain. Last year, the Triwizard Tournament came to Hogwarts. Harry was chosen as one of the champion for Hogwarts, along with Cedric Diggory. During the last task, a portkey transported Harry and Cedric to a graveyard where Cedric was killed and Harry witnessed Voldemort's return.

Since that day, everything had changed. The entire wizarding world seemed to think that Harry was lying. Even the Daily Prophet was poking fun at him, but Harry had stood by what had happened. I knew that Harry wasn't lying. I doubt he would ever lie about anything related to Voldemort.

At least I would be able to see them later on today. Mr. Weasley would be coming to pick me up and bring me to wherever the family was staying. I was excited to see my friends and find out how they had been. I was most anxious to see Harry, as I was sure he would be going through a tough time. I had already packed up my trunk about a week ago and was waiting anxiously for Mr. Weasley's arrival. He was supposed to be at Gran's house in about an hour.

About an hour later Mr. Weasley arrived. I said my goodbyes to Gran and my brother. With a flick of his wand, Mr. Weasley sent my trunk to Sirius' house, which is where we would be staying. He then instructed me to hold onto his arm. I did as I was told and before I knew what was happening, I felt my body disappear. I felt as though I was being squeezed through a thin tube that I didn't quite fit through. After a few moments my Gran's house had disappeared. It was replaced with a dark, muggle street.

"What on earth just happened?" I asked, shocked.

"Side-along apparation," Mr. Weasley replied. He gave me a piece of parchment. "Here, read this and keep repeating it to yourself."

_The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London._

I wasn't really sure what any of this meant but I did what I was told and kept reading it. Suddenly the walls of the muggle houses began to move. A new house began to appear between number eleven and thirteen. Soon an entirely new house was present. As we walked to the door Mr. Weasley took back the piece of parchment he had given me and lit it on fire, destroying the evidence. He knocked softly at the front door and seconds later it opened. Mrs. Weasley, clad in a white apron, opened the door.

"Quick, come inside!" She whispered. She gave me a big hug, before pulling away to look at me. "Ava, dear, it's lovely to see you. I'll have to find out how you're doing later, I'm afraid. Arthur and I have to get to a meeting. You should join the others upstairs. Ron, Harry and Hermione are in the third door on the right," she pointed toward the door before she hurried away in the opposite direction.

The house seemed to be very old, and strange. As I walked up the stairs I noticed that the parallel wall was covered with plaques with the heads of house elves. All of their beady eyes seemed to watch me as I walked. I knocked at the door that Mrs. Weasley had pointed to me.

After a moment it opened and a pair of arms flew around my shoulders. I laughed and hugged back.

"It's nice to see you too Hermione," I said and patted her on the back. Ron and Harry stood up as well and gave me a hug once Hermione was done. It was so nice to see all of them again.

"Guys, how have you been!" I had barely talked to any of them all summer, as they said it was no longer safe to put anything into letters in case they fell into the wrong hands.

"Oh, you haven't heard about the dementor attack yet have you?" Hermione said, glancing at the boys.

"DEMENTOR ATTACK? WHAT? What do you mean? Who was attacked?" I asked, shocked.

"Me. I was walking with my cousin and they came out of nowhere. I had to use a Patronus to keep them from attacking us. Now I have a hearing tomorrow to decide if I get to stay at Hogwarts," Harry replied. He looked glum. I walked over to the bed he was sitting on and put my arm around him.

"Harry, there is no way they can expel you! No way! You were just defending yourself, so they can't possibly have any grounds for expelling you!" I said.

"Well, they already think I'm lying about Voldemort returning, so what's to stop them from thinking I'm lying about this?" Harry said, putting his face in his hands.

" You're going to return to Hogwarts, so stop worrying. They cannot expel you. They just can't," I said. I knew that this probably wouldn't comfort him but it was all I could think to say. I couldn't imagine Hogwarts without Harry. He was probably my best friend. I think I was trying, in part, to convince myself that he was going to get to return to Hogwarts. But they couldn't expel him!

After that, Ron and Hermione briefly filled me in on their summers. Neither of them had anything exciting to tell me, and I in turn had nothing to tell them. They explained about the Order of the Phoenix, which was a group of witches and wizards that were forming a rebellion against Voldemort. Apparently the meetings took place in Sirius' house. That was the meeting that Mr. And Mrs. Weasley were running to when I got here. After we caught up we decided to play exploding snap. It was just like we were back in the Gryffindor common room, before everything had become so complicated. It was nice to just forget about all of the problems and play cards with my friends.

Eventually, Mrs. Weasley called us down to dinner. Dinner was a lively event. There were several Order members that had stayed for dinner. Probably, the most interesting was a witch named Tonks, I think, who kept changing the shape of her nose to make us laugh. That evening was probably one of the most fun I had had this summer and it was over too soon. Mrs. Weasley told us to go to bed, as Harry had to be up early to go to his hearing. I said goodnight to my friends and headed to the room I was sharing with Hermione and Ginny. We talked for a few minutes before Ginny and Hermione were tired and fell asleep. I couldn't sleep though. I kept thinking about Harry's hearings. Though I knew that the Ministry had no reason to expel him, I knew that Harry was right. They already thought he was a liar, so they may think he was lying again. I tried not to think about it but the thought kept popping back into my head. Eventually I fell asleep, though it must have been the early hours of the morning.

After what seemed like minutes, Hermione was shaking me awake. "Ava, it's morning. Mrs. Weasley says we have to help clean our the office downstairs," she said. I threw off the covers and groggily went to get ready. I had never been a morning person. In fact, it usually took me several hours to fall asleep, which was especially problematic during school, as Hermione would always have to roll me out of bed. I got ready slowly and headed to the kitchen where everyone (minus Harry and Mr. Weasley) else was eating breakfast. I sat down and Mrs. Weasley put eggs and toast in front of me. I thanked her and ate slowly. After everyone was done, the entire lot of us went to the office and started to clean. It was in a bleak state, but we managed to clean it in good time. It was nearly lunch time when we finished. After lunch Hermione, Ron and I went back to Ron's room and waited for Harry to return.

Soon, we heard some commotion coming from downstairs. It was probably the portrait of Mrs. Black that was permanently stuck to the wall. Then we heard voices, one of which was surely Harry's. We ran downstairs and saw Harry and Mr. Weasley smiling brightly. I didn't even wait for them to tell me before I launched myself toward Harry. I hugged him tightly and he lifted me off the ground.

"I knew it!" Ron yelled, as I continued to hug Harry.

"See, I told you! They can't expel you!" I cried as I let go. He was flushed with excitement, and I moved aside as Hermione gave him a hug as well. That evening was a lot of fun. A few Order members stayed for dinner again and after we were finished, the four of us went back and just talked for the rest of the evening.

After Harry's trial, the rest of the summer flew by. We spent the rest of the summer inside the house, which was a shame as we weren't able to play Quidditch once, but we still had fun together. Before I knew it I was packing my clothes away to go to Hogwarts. It was the last night of the holiday, and in honour of Ron and Hermione being made Prefects, we were having a big dinner tonight. It had surprised me that Ron had been made Prefect actually. I had expected Dumbledore to make Harry a Prefect. He must have been a little bit disappointed, but I knew that Harry would never say anything about it. I was standing in the kitchen with everyone else when I realized that Harry wasn't there. I decided to go and find him. He was in his bedroom, lying down on his bed and staring at at the ceiling.

"Hey Harry. What's the matter?" I asked as I went to sit at the edge of his bed.

"Nothing... just tired," he said, but he continued to stare at the ceiling.

"Is this because Ron is a Prefect?" I asked.

"No! Of course not! I do find it a little bit funny though. But I don't care or anything," he said, but I could tell that he was just saying that.

"Well, both of you would make great Prefects I think. I bet Dumbledore knows how much you have to deal with, especially with the stuff that happened at the end of last year and he didn't want to overwhelm you," I said, resting my hand on his knee.

"Yeah, maybe," he said, sitting up. He put his arm around my shoulder. It was nice to have a moment alone with Harry. Even though I had been at Grimmauld Place for nearly a month now, I had barely spent anytime with Harry. We had all been too busy cleaning, or getting ready for school. Harry and I had always been extremely close. I was probably closer to him than to Ron or Hermione. I sighed softly and stood up.

"It's time for dinner now! Come on!" I offered him my hand and pulled him up before we walked down to the kitchen. The rest of the day went quickly, and soon we were all in bed. I was surprisingly tired and fell asleep quickly.

The next morning all of the Weasleys, along with Hermione, me and Sirius, in dog form of course. After quick goodbyes we all got on the train and made our way to Hogwarts!


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4 is up! :)**_

_**_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_  
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The train ride had felt really long. It must have been because I was so eager to get to Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione had to go to a Prefect meeting so it left Harry and I alone in the compartment for the first half of the journey.

We decided to pass the time by playing a game of wizard's chess. I was never really good at this game, so Harry usually won, but he sometimes let me win. I guess he felt bad that I was so terrible at this game. After the third game, I got tired of losing and we decided to just talk for a while.

"I'm so glad to be going back! It was starting to get really boring to be stuck inside!" I said. It was especially brutal as the weather had been especially lovely, and I was forced to enjoy the sunshine from a little window in my bedroom.

"I know! I'm excited to play Quidditch again! Are you trying out again this year?" He asked.

"Absolutely! Come on! You don't think you guys can win without me do you?" I said jokingly. In third year I had been a chaser. I was extremely disappointed that Quidditch had been cancelled last year, since the Triwizard Tournament had taken it's place.

"Well, I'm glad you're trying out! And I'm going to choose to ignore that last bit," he smirked. I smiled back sweetly.

"There will probably be a lot of work though this year. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle it all," I replied.

"Oh, please. You'll do just fine. You're almost as bad as Hermione when it comes to studies. I'm worried though... you're probably going to have to help me a lot!" He said.

"We'll see about that Potter. You had better stay on my good side if you want my help. I do accept bribes, in case you were wondering," I joked. I was a pretty good student and I frequently helped Ron and Harry with their essays when Hermione refused.

"Bribes? Hmm... Or I could just force you to help me!" He said, and he lunged over to the seat across from me and started tickling me. I should have expected this, because he always used my high sensitivity to tickling to get things from me. I was laughing really loudly as Harry continued to tickle me. Just then, the compartment door slid open. We both stopped and looked up to see Cho Chang.

"Cho...hi," was all Harry managed to say.

"Sorry, bad time?" She said, looking at the scene in front of her, embarrassed. It must have looked a little bit bizarre. It probably looked like she had just interrupted Harry and I making out or something, considering the look she was giving us.

"Nope! He was just trying to get me to help him with his homework," I said quickly, pushing Harry off me. I glanced at him, to see that his face was bright red.

"Oh, well. I just stopped in to say hi. How was your summer?" She said, looking at us suspiciously. It took Harry a few seconds to find his voice.

"Pretty boring really. What about yours?" He asked.

"Same here. I did go and visit my brother, but that's about the only exciting thing I did," she said, which was followed by a bit of an uncomfortable silence. "Ok, I guess I'll see you later then Harry," she said quickly and left.

"What was that all about?" I asked him, curiously. I had known that Harry had liked Cho, but I hadn't realized that Harry was so awkward around her.

"Nothing! I don't know! It's hard to talk to her... after what happened with Cedric and all," he replied, sitting back in his seat. Cho had been dating Cedric Diggory before he had died in the maze with Harry.

"Do you even still like her?" I asked.

"Not really, I don't think. She's pretty and all, but I don't think of her that much any more," he replied thoughtfully. For some reason, his statement made me smile. I wasn't really sure why, and I decided to blame it on the fact that I had never really liked Cho very much.

"Well, that's fine! There are plenty of girls at Hogwarts that would love to date the famous Harry Potter," I said, smirking.

"Oh, shut up," he said while rolled his eyes. Just then the compartment door opened again, but this time it was Ron and Hermione who had finally finished Prefect duties. Soon enough, the train came to a halt an we hauled our trunks out of train. The four of us got a carriage with Neville, Ginny and a strange girl named Luna Lovegood.

The feast was brilliant, as usual. I was still awed by the charmed ceiling of the Great Hall, just as I was on my first day at Hogwarts. I took my usual seat at the Gryffindor table to watch the sorting. After the long line of first years had been sent to their respective tables, the feast began. Ron and Harry at as though they hadn't eaten in days, while Hermione and I just watched on, amused. Finally, the food disappeared and Ron and Hermione went to usher the first years to the common room.

Harry and I walked slowly to the common room and sat in front of the fire. Since we had our first day of class early the next morning we all headed up to our dorms pretty early. As usually I wasn't able to sleep. I lay in bed for about an hour before deciding to get up and sit in the common room. I went down in my pyjamas and to my surprise someone else was there was well.

"Harry! What are you doing up?" I asked as I approached the person sitting on the long couch in the middle of the room.

"Oh Ava, I couldn't sleep. I had a fight with Seamus earlier and I was too mad to sleep. Why are you up?" He asked.

"Insomnia. What was the fight about?" I asked, as I took a seat beside him.

"Apparently his mother didn't want to send him back to school because she doesn't like what I've been saying about Voldemort. He wanted to know what happened the night Cedric..." his voice trailed off.

"Seriously? Well, him and everyone else will soon know that you weren't lying," I said. He gave me a weary smile and put his arm around me. I snuggled up to him and put my head on his shoulder. I was so comfortable cuddling with him. I couldn't help but notice how nice it felt to be in his arms. I had never thought of him in that way and it surprised me. I wasn't surprised enough to move though. We just say in silence, while the fire blazed on in front of us.

My head was lying on his chest, and I could hear his heartbeat. It was beating quite fast, I realized. I placed my hand over his chest and felt his heart thumping. I looked up at his face. He was staring into the fire contemplatively. I couldn't help but start at his eyes. They were such a nice shade, especially now when I could see the light from the fireplace reflected.

"What?" He asked. He must have noticed my looking at him.

"Oh, nothing. I was just noticing that you have really pretty eyes," I said. I realized what I said, and felt my cheeks getting hot with embarrassment. I quickly turned my face so he wouldn't notice my blush.

"Thanks," he whispered. He was staring down at me and I looked back at him. I noticed that he was blushing slightly too. He seemed to be studying my face.

_Hmm, I made Harry Potter blush! _I thought, and laughed to myself.

"Hmm, I think I should probably head to bed now or I am not going to be in a pleasant mood in the morning. Good night Harry," I said and gave him a quick hug before jogging up the stairs.

**Harry POV**

After my fight with Seamus I was so frustrated that I stormed down to the common room. I was relieved that it was empty and I took my favourite seat in front of the fireplace.

_Who does he think he is? He hasn't seen the things I've seen! And his stupid mother believes the Daily Prophet clearly. I know she isn't the only person who thinks it too! I wonder how many of these people are just too scared to tell me that they think that as well! _

I was busy fuming to myself that I didn't hear the footsteps coming down the staircase.

"Harry! What are you doing up?" Ava asked. Her voice startled me out of my thoughts.

"Oh Ava, I couldn't sleep. I had a fight with Seamus earlier and I was too mad to sleep. Why are you up?" I asked as she sat down next to me on the couch.

""Insomnia. What was the fight about?" She asked. When I saw her my anger had abated slightly and now I was more sad than anything.

""Apparently his mother didn't want to send him back to school because she doesn't like what I've been saying about Voldemort. He wanted to know what happened the night Cedric..." I couldn't continue the sentence. It was difficult to think of that night. I had nightmares every night about Cedric's death. I knew deep down that there was nothing that I could have done to save him but I couldn't help but blame myself.

""Seriously? Well, him and everyone else will soon know that you weren't lying," she said.

_That's what I'm afraid of, _I thought but decided not to share that thought. Even though I knew she didn't expect it from me, I still felt as though it was my job to be strong and not show how truly scared I really was. I sighed softly and put my arm around her. I wasn't sure how but she always made me feel better. She shifted her body so that she could lay her head on my shoulder.

It felt really nice to have her beside me. I could feel her breath softly on my neck and she placed her hand on my chest. We sat in silence for a few minutes before I noticed that her eyes were on me.

"What?" I asked, self-consciously.

"Oh, nothing. I was just noticing that you have really pretty eyes," she said as her cheeks turned bright red. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks too.

"Thanks," I said quietly. I couldn't help but stare at her. Ava had been the first person I had met at Hogwarts and we had always been really close friends. I had always known that she way pretty, but I had never really thought about it. Right now, as I started at her I realized how beautiful she really was. Her auburn hair shone slightly in the light of the fire and I could see the flames in her eyes. I could feel my cheeks getting hotter. I think she may have noticed.

"Hmm, I think I should probably head to bed now or I am not going to be in a pleasant mood in the morning," she said and gave me a hug. I felt my heart drop a little bit but hugged her back. "Good night Harry!"

"Good night Ava..." I whispered back, thought I doubt she heard me.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5! Woot! **_

_****You may notice that I changed this story from a Romance/Friendship to a Romance/Adventure story. This is because I thought of an idea last night and want to change the course of the story a bit! It's still the same beginning but it'll start to change from here! **_

_*****Also, I'm sorry I'm changing things but since I decided to change what I was doing originally I had to make a couple of changes. The leaf pendant necklace that Avery's grandmother gave her in the first part used to be her mother's. And it's no longer going to be a leaf pendant. It is going to be a clear glass ball with green liquid in it. I know it's a small detail but it's important! So that's all!**_

_**Thanks for reading! :D**_

_**PLEASE READ DESCRIPTION ABOVE!**_

_ I was walking through a field. The grass was extremely long so my fingertips were grazing the tops of the blades. I could feel my bare feet on the cold, damp earth. There was a soft breeze brushed strands of my hair off my shoulders. The breeze felt really nice, and kept it from being too hot, as the sun shining brightly. _

_ I continued to walk through the open field, just feeling the grass and enjoying the sun, when I approached a forest that I hadn't noticed before. It was pretty dark and the trees were massive. I could barely see the tops! I continued into the forest. There was something about this place that felt magical. I could still feel the breeze, though I wasn't sure how as the trees seemed to surround me. The leaves of the trees fluttered in the the wind. It almost sounded like they were talking to me. I reached out and touched the soft bark of the trees as I passed between them. I couldn't help but feel as though I was connected to the trees somehow... like they wanted to tell me something but I just couldn't hear it. _

_ I started running through the forest, and the wind picked up, now whipping my hair around my face. I had to understand the trees! I knew that there was something that they needed to tell me but I couldn't understand how to understand what they were saying. I slowed back down to a walk as I reached a magnificent willow tree at the centre of the forest. I gently lay my hand on one of the branches. The wind picked up even more as my hand touched the tree. Though I still got the feeling that it was trying to tell me something, I couldn't understand. It almost sounded like it was whispering my name..._

_ "Ava... Ava..._AVA!" I woke with a start as I realized that it had been Hermione who had been calling my name.

"What Hermione?" I mumbled, as I put my pillow over my head.

"You had better get up or you're going to be late for class! We have potions first thing!" She yelled as she went back to getting ready. I sighed and threw off the covers. It had only been two weeks and I had already been late three times! Thankfully none of the times had been to Snape's class, as I surely would have gotten detention.

Lately I had been having trouble waking up in the morning. I had been having very vivid dreams which I only vaguely remembered in the morning. I know I had been dreaming about trees before Hermione had woken me up. That had been pretty much how all my dreams had been, with me walking through a forest or a field. I decided to forget about my dream for now and get ready.

"Double potions first thing in the morning! Almost as bad as double Defence with Umbridge," Ron complained as we sat in the Great Hall for breakfast. I had to agree with him. Snape and Umbridge were promising to make fifth year a nightmare. Umbridge had a no magic policy in her class so we were stuck reading out of the textbook and Snape was even more vicious than usual, though I wasn't sure why. It had only been a couple of weeks and he had piled on more homework than I had ever seen. I was decent in potions though so I wasn't as worried for myself as I was for Ron and Harry. I could already see the two of them falling behind. I did my best to help them out but my own mountain of homework was preventing me from doing much.

The day passed slowly. Double potions was a nightmare, and Snape ended up taking about forty points from Gryffindor when Neville's cauldron exploded, sending drops of potion over everyone in class. Snape wouldn't even listen to the fact that it had been Malfoy who had put a dung beetle down Neville's shirt, causing him to jump and accidentally dump in too much toad liver! The rest of the day passed without incident but by the end of the day all the Gryffindors were tired and grumpy.

I had managed to finish up all my work by dinner time that night so I decided to go for a walk. I had decided that the reason for my strange dreams were because I was craving the outdoors. After dinner I slipped away from my friends and walked around the grounds. It was really nice outside. There was a breeze and the sun was still bright, even though it was nearly 7 o'clock. I found a nice patch of shade under a large tree and took a seat under it. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to enjoy the moment of peace. As I closed my eyes, I began to hear the rustling of the leaves. It sounded like the tree above me was whispering my name, just like in my dream. I continued to listen with my eyes shut, hoping that the tree would tell me something else, but then it stopped.

Disappointed, I decided to head back to the castle as I was sure my friends were worried. I wasn't really paying attention as I walked back to the castle and I bumped into someone. I was about to tell the person off for not watching where they were going, but I looked up and it was Professor Dumbledore.

"Professor Dumbledore! I'm sorry Sir! I wasn't looking where I was going," I said sheepishly.

"It's quite alright Miss Alexander! I see you've come to enjoy the sunshine me," he commented.

"Yeah, I haven't really gotten a chance to sit outside in a while and I felt like I needed some fresh air," I replied. For a second I considered telling Dumbledore about my dreams but I decided against it because it was probably nothing. I looked up at him and realized he was staring at my neck.

"That's an interesting necklace you're wearing, Avery," he said, looking at me thoughtfully.

"Oh, thank you. My grandmother said it was my mother's before she died," I replied.

"Do you know anything about that necklace?" he asked me. I wasn't really sure what he meant. It was just a necklace with a leaf pendant.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Professor," I said.

"There were only four necklaces of its kind that were ever made. I have never seen anything like it before. I would like you to come to my office later today, if that is alright?" He asked. I was confused but I was interested in what the headmaster was saying.

"Of course, Professor!" I replied.

"Come to my office around 9 o'clock then," he said with a smile and carried on in the direction he was headed. I continued on my way to the Gryffindor common room.

"Where were you? I was worried," said Hermione as I walked through the portrait hole.

"Just taking a walk outside. I needed some fresh air," I replied. I decided not to tell them about my meeting with Dumbledore until I heard what he said. Harry and Ron were sitting on the couch, obviously struggling through their herbology homework. I took a seat beside Harry, who looked quite frustrated. "Let me see," I sighed, taking Harry's essay from him. I read through it and changed a few things and handed it back to him.

"I love you," he said, giving me a kiss on the cheek. I rolled my eyes, but smiled nonetheless. At around 8:45 I decided it was time to head to Dumbledore's office.

"I'm going to go to the library for a bit," I lied.

"Isn't it a little bit late for the library?" Ron asked.

"Oh, no. I just realized that I was supposed to get a book for one of my classes. I'll see you guys later," I said quickly, before they could ask any questions. I got to Dumbledore's office and realized that I didn't have the password. I wasn't sure what to do, and just as I was going to start trying out random words, when the stone gargoyle guarding the door slid open. There stood Dumbledore at the top of the stairs, smiling.

"Miss Alexander. Just in time. Come on in," he said. I walked up the stairs behind him to his office. It wasn't the first time I had been in his office. I seen it a couple of times with Harry, Ron and Hermione but this was the first time I had been here alone.

I took a seat in the cushy couch in front of his desk and he sat opposite me.

"Thank you for coming. I'm sure you must be wondering why I called you here today," he said.

"Yes I am rather curious," I responded.

"Tell me, what do you know about the necklace you are wearing?"

"Well, I know it was my mother's necklace. My grandmother gave it to me on the day I got my Hogwarts letter. She didn't really tell me much about it though," I said, trying to remember the exact conversation.

"There are only three other necklace like this one. Each represent one of the elements. Yours represents the earth. There is one each for wind, fire and water. Each of these pendants contain a little bit of the element they represent. These are very special indeed," he said. I was surprised. I hadn't realized that they were so rare. He continued.

"These necklaces can only be owned by four people in the world. Those with the power to control the element they represent. Your mother was one of these people. She was one of the Elements. I remember your mother well. I even helped her learn to control her powers. She was an extremely powerful witch without her element powers, but with those added on she was unstoppable. She was incredibly valuable to the Order of the Phoenix before her death. I am sad to say that that is how she passed away," he said, looking absentmindedly out of his window.

_My mother had been some kind of super-witch? Wow... _was all I could think. I wasn't really sure what to say so I just sat there silently.

"There is very little information about the Elements, as they are so rare, however it is my belief that once one Element dies they pass on their abilities. I think that is why your mother left you that necklace. She expected you to take over once she passed away, but unfortunately she died before she had a chance to explain everything to you," he continued. My head was spinning. An Element? I was an Element. I barely understood what he meant.

"What does it mean?" I whispered.

"It means that you have many undiscovered powers. These powers will start to manifest themselves slowly as you get older. You've probably experienced some of these powers, though you didn't realize it at the time," said Dumbledore.

_My dreams... _I immediately though.

"Professor, I've recently been dreaming a lot about walking through a forest. It almost feels like the trees are talking to me. I heard the same time today when I was outside," I said. It sounded a little bit ridiculous but I knew that Dumbledore wouldn't laugh at me.

"The trees are trying to tell you who you are. I am willing to work with you if you want, to help you bring out and control your powers," he smiled.

"Yes! That would be great, Sir," I said. Though I was still in shock about what he was saying I was still eager to find out what I was able to do.

"Alright, Miss Alexander, come to my office tomorrow at the same time," he said.

"Absolutely, Professor. Oh, one more thing. Am I allowed to tell Harry, Ron and Hermione about this?" I knew that if I was going to be having meetings with Dumbledore, they would notice my absence and I would get a lot of questions.

"You may tell who you like, Miss Alexander. Though I suggest you exercise caution about who you tell. You would be a great asset to Voldemort's side, as well as our own. I am sure, however, that it would be wise to tell Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger. They may even be able to help you," he added with a twinkle in his eye. I thanked him and left his office. My heart was racing as I walked back to the Gryffindor common room. I wasn't really sure how to react to what Dumbledore had told me. I had the power to control the earth? Just the thought of it sounded ludicrous, but I also trusted that Dumbledore was telling me the truth.

As I walked back to the common room I braced myself for telling my friends. I knew they would be supportive but I was still nervous about telling them.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer: **_**_**I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_**

**__****"So, what does this mean?" Hermione asked excitedly. I had just finished explaining what Dumbledore had told me. Ron and Hermione immediately began discussing how amazing it was. Hermione seemed especially happy that she had a reason for a trip to the library, while Ron just started in awe. Harry, however, stayed oddly quite. He was sitting in the armchair beside me, staring contemplatively at the floor. His forehead was creased in thought. I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but I decided to wait until we were alone. **

** "I'm not sure Hermione. Dumbledore said he's going to work with me so that I can learn how to control my powers , but that's all I know. I have my first meeting with him tomorrow," I added.**

** "Wait, I'm confused about something," said Ron. "What does your mother's necklace have to do with it?" I wasn't really sure how to answer the question.**

** "To be honest, I'm not really sure. All I know is that there is one for each of the Elements. Dumbledore said that each necklace contains a little part of the element they represent," I said.**

** "I think it may help you to control your power. I'm going to go to the library tomorrow and see what I can find!" Hermione said brightly. "For now though I think I'm going to turn in! It's already past midnight!" She said a quick goodnight to us and jogged upstairs. Soon after Ron decided to head to bed as well. Then it was just Harry and I left sitting in the common room.**

** "So...what's up Harry?" I asked. I could tell that I had interrupted his train of though, but I also wanted to know his thoughts on the news I had just told him. He hadn't really said anything since I had told them.**

** "Oh nothing. Just thinking. Big news you just gave us," he replied. I knew he had more on his mind but he wasn't telling me. **

** "Harry, tell me what's wrong! I know that you have something to say," I replied. He hesitated for a second before answering.**

** "I just don't want you to have to do this! I don't want you to fight in this war! You could get hurt!" He said quietly. He was always looking after everyone else. I knew Harry well enough to know that he always seemed to think it was his job to look after his friends.**

** "Harry! Don't worry about me! I will be fine! Dumbledore's going to help me and soon I'll be able to control these powers! Then I can help you fight against him!" I cried. **

** "Ava! What if you get hurt? Or what if Voldemort tries to use your powers for his side? Then what?" He said angrily, standing up from his armchair. I sighed softly and buried my head in my hands. **

** "Harry, I have no choice. This is just as much my fight as it is yours. According to Dumbledore, my parents worked for the Order years ago and that is how they were killed. I have to fight back just like you do!" I felt the tears threaten to spill over, but I was determined not to cry. I looked up and saw that Harry's face had softened. He sat back down and took my hand. My heart leaped as his hand touched mine.**

** "I know. I'm sorry. I'm just worried. I don't want anything to happen to you. It's pretty incredible though. An Element... do you know what you'll be able to do?"He asked.**

** "Not yet. I have no idea what it means to be able to control the earth. Dumbledore said though that the trees were trying to talk to me. That's something. Can you imagine if I could talk to trees? I wonder what the Whomping Willow would have to say," I said, with a small laugh. Harry gave me a weary smile. **

** "Well you'll have to remember to ask her for me!" He joked. After that the atmosphere became a lot less tense. Harry and I stayed up for a little while longer discussing what my powers could possibly be. Eventually my eyes started to droop shut so we decided to go to bed.**

** "Good night Harry," I said, at the bottom of the staircase. He gave me a hug, probably because he felt bad that he had yelled at me earlier. He gave me a quick kiss on the forehead and went up the boys staircase, while I headed to my own dorm.**

** That night I dreamed again. It was similar to the other dreams I had been having. I could feel a difference though. Everything had felt alive. I don't think I could possibly explain it. As I brushed each blade of grass, my fingers tingled. The trees whispered my name like before, though it was more pronounced than before. I wasn't alarmed like I was before. Instead, I was rather intrigued to hear more. I tried to listen harder to see what more they would tell me, but all I could hear was my name. I started to run to the centre of the forest as I had done before as well. As I reached the great tree at the centre, I rested my hand on it's ancient trunk.**

** I awoke with a start. I wasn't sure what had just happened in my dream. There had been some kind of an electric shock almost when I had touched the tree. I glanced outside the window and concluded that it was the early morning. I knew that I could have to get out of be in about an hour anyway so I threw off the covers and started getting ready. By the time I had finished getting ready, Hermione had just gotten up.**

** "Ava! You're up early this morning," she commented, surprised. **

** "Don't look so surprised Hermione! I'm going to head to breakfast! I'll see you down there soon!" I called as I walked out of the room. **

** It was still pretty early so the Great Hall was almost deserted, except for a group of Ravenclaws, eagerly discussing their charms assignment. I sat down alone at the Gryffindor table and served myself some eggs and toast. I was surprised at how awake I felt, considering the fact that I had only gotten about three hours of sleep. Soon enough, Hermione came to sit with me, later followed by Ron and Harry who both looked extremely grumpy. Hermione and I glanced at each other at the sigh of them, and giggled softly, only to receive an unimpressed look from the boys. **

** The day seemed to drag on forever. Since I had woken up earlier than I was used to, I was starting to feel exhausted by lunch time. After an agonizing session of double Defence Against the Dark Arts, the day had finally come to an end. Since I had to finish all my homework before my meeting with Dumbledore that night I got started soon after getting back tot he common room. **

** Soon, I had taken up an entire table in a corner of the common room. I had several library books spread out around me, along with bits of parchment and ink. I must have looked a little bit crazed as I had messily put my hair in a large bun at the top of my head and I had stuck my wand behind my ear. Coupled with my lack of sleep I definitely looked slightly crazed. **

** "Ava," I heard softly from beside me. I looked up to see Ron, holding a stack of parchment. I knew what was coming so I rolled my eyes and conjured a chair for him beside me.**

** "You have five minutes Ron! I have my own work to get back to!" I sighed. He showed me his History of Magic essay. As I glanced through it I realized that he had confused the Goblin Wars of 1435 with the ones that occurred in 1509. **

** "So... you wrote about the wrong Goblin Wars," I said. Ron's jaw dropped. I quickly found a new sheet of parchment in the mess on the table and wrote out an outline for him to follow. **

** "Avery, you are the best. I promise I'll make it up to you!" He called as he took the parchment back to his own corner of the common room. I got back to my own work and before I knew it, it was already time to go to my meeting with Dumbledore. I said a quick goodbye to my friends and headed to Dumbledore's office. **

** As I approached, the gargoyle sprung to life and moved aside to reveal the staircase. I walked upstairs and softly tapped on the office door.**

** "Come in," Dumbledore said from inside. I pushed open the heavy oak door and said hello the him. I took the same seat I had taken yesterday.**

** "Good evening, Miss Alexander. I'm glad you were able to come tonight," said Dumbledore. He stood up and walked over to a large, glass display case and pulled out a wooden box. He set the box in front of my seat and removed the lid. Inside, I was surprised to find rich dirt. I looked at Dumbledore confused.**

** "Miss Alexander, I want you to concentrate very hard on the box," he said. I wasn't really sure what he expected, but I complied. I put my hands on the sides of the box and closed my eyes, focusing all my energy into my hands. After a few seconds I opened my eyes. Sprouting from the dirt was now a small, white rosebud. **

** "With practice I wouldn't be surprised if you could have grown a tree!" Dumbledore said. **

** "I want to try it again," I said, before focusing all my attention on the box again. I didn't close my eyes because I wanted to see what happened. After a few moments the little rosebud began to grow. The petals began to open and there stood a gorgeous white rose. I smiled happily.**

** "Well done Avery!" Dumbledore said excitedly. "This is only a small demonstration of what you're capable off!" He replaced the box with the rose on the glass shelf and sat back down in his chair. **

** "I am sure that you have many questions about your new powers. However, let me begin first. I want to explain a little more about the Elements. I may help to answer some of your questions." I nodded and waited for him to begin.**

** "The Elements are an ancient group, dating back thousands of years. Most people have never heard of the Elements before. They have tended to stay hidden in the past, in order to prevent greedy witches and wizards from forcing them to use their powers for evil.**

** "Elemental powers are passed on through generations. Your mother is a unique case. She was born to muggle parents who were never able to use their powers. It is my belief that your family was once a wizarding family, but then had several generations of squibs, so the magic was forgotten. Then your mother started started showing magical abilities, which helped her to recognize her Elemental powers.**

** "I remember your mother from her time at Hogwarts. She was an amazingly talented herbology student. I remember one day, around your age, when she was around your age, she was sitting in the grounds, under a tree. I was walking over to Hagrid's hut at the time and happened to see her. She was doing precisely what you did. She was growing a white rose from where she was sitting. I doubt she realized how magnificent a thing she was doing. **

** "I had only ever heard whispers of Elements. Her powers were ones that I had never seen before. It was baffling, as I assumed she was a muggle-born. I researched for some time and determined that she was an Element. I called her into my office and explained my suspicion. We worked for the next two years to help her develop her abilities. **

** "It was one of the most brilliant things that I've ever seen. She was able to make the trees move, or cause earthquakes at will. After graduation, she joined the Order of the Phoenix and worked there for several years. After Voldemort's disappearance she became a herbologist." He finished this speech. It was amazing to hear about my mother's powers. It made me feel excited to start learning about what I was capable off. **

** "So where do we begin, Professor?" I asked eagerly.**

** "Well, just until our next meeting I would like you to practice what you did today. Go outside in the grounds and practice growing flowers. It is how your mother began and I think it would be a good place for you to begin as well," he stated. It was a little bit disappointing, as I was looking forward to trying out new things, but I agreed. **

** Dumbledore told me that our next meeting would be next Wednesday, at the same time. I left the office with my head spinning and a grin on my face. **


	7. Chapter 7

**_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_**__

It was late again. I couldn't sleep. Instead I was lying awake in my bedroom, thinking about going outside. I was itching to go outside and practice what Dumbledore had showed me. After my meeting with Dumbledore, my week had gotten very busy with homework. I hadn't even had an opportunity to show Ron, Hermione and Harry was I could do!

After debating for a few more minutes, I got out of bed and put on warmer clothing. I decided to go to Harry and Ron's room to borrow Harry's invisibility cloak. I knew that he wouldn't mind. I quietly went to his room and over to his four poster bed. Harry looked so cute when he was asleep. It took all of my control not to reach over and pinch his cheek. I didn't have to look for very long for the cloak, as I had borrowed it plenty of times before. I opened the bottom drawer of his bedside table and pulled out the cloak. I must have closed it too loudly though.

"Ava? What are you doing?" I heard from beside me. I jumped slightly as I realized that I had accidentally woken Harry up.

"Harry! Go back to sleep. I just needed the invisibility cloak. I'm just going for a walk for a few minutes," I whispered back.

"Are you mad? It's the middle of the night!" he said.

"I want to practice something!" I replied. He let out an exaggerated sigh and put on his glasses. He got out of bed and put on some shoes.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Well I'm coming with you! It's dangerous for you to go out alone," he said. I tried to protest but he just rolled his eyes and threw the cloak over both of us.

We walked silently down the empty hallways to the Entrance Hall, and out of the front door. Once outside we pulled off the cloak and walked normally. I lead us to the tree that I had been sitting under a couple of days ago. The moon was shining brightly in the sky so there was plenty of light.

"Sit beside me, but don't talk. It may break my concentration," I said. I sat down with my legs folded, and closed my eyes. I placed my hands on the earth and concentrated. I could feel the earth beneath my fingers. I felt an odd tingle in my palms as I concentrated my energy into the ground beneath me.

"Wow..." I heard from beside me, so I opened my eyes. In the ground before me was a single red rose. I gently tugged it out of the earth.

"Here," I said as I handed Harry the rose. I was glad that it was dark so that he couldn't see my cheeks turning red.

"I can't believe you did that," he whispered, taking the rose in awe. "What else can you do?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. This is the only thing I know that I can do. Dumbledore told me about things my mother could do. He said that she could cause earthquakes at will if she wanted," I said. He seemed impressed. Clearly he hadn't expected me to be that powerful.

"Well try to do something else!" He urged me.

"I don't know Harry. I'm not sure what I'm capable off... or if I can control it," I said nervously.

"Just try something simple. Something that couldn't hurt anyone." I tried to think about what I could try, and then it struck me.

"I could try to talk to the trees," I said quietly.

"Yes! You did promise to tell me what they said," he said. Inhaled deeply before gently placing my hands on the bark of the tree. I shut my eyes and focused my all my power into my fingertips. Nothing happened. I peeked open my eye but nothing had changed. Harry shrugged beside me. I decided to try again. Yet again, nothing really _happened._ I was getting frustrated, but decided to try one last time.

I removed my hands from the tree and inhaled deeply again.

_What am I supposed to do! How am I supposed to talk to you? _I thought.

_Ava...Ava...Ava, _the trees seemed to rustle.

_What? _I demanded, though I didn't say it out loud.

_We are yours, Ava, _a soft whisper said. The faint voice sounded as if it was almost part of the air. It sounded as though it was just the night air playing tricks on me, but I knew that it was that.

_What do you mean? _I breathed deeply again. There was nothing else. It was because I had gotten too excited probably, and had lost my concentration. Suddenly, I felt like I was being roused from a trance. Harry was shaking me. I opened my eyes, to see his in front my mine. He looked terrified.

"Are you ok?" He demanded.

"Of course I am!" I replied.

"Your eyes... your eyes began to roll back into your head. You didn't respond to me calling you," he said.

"Oh. I guess I couldn't hear you. But I heard them Harry! They said 'we are yours'. I'm not exactly sure what they meant but it was amazing," I said.

"I was really worried. After I tried calling your name a couple of times, you opened your mouth as if you were trying to speak but nothing was coming out," he said, almost angrily.

"I honestly couldn't feel anything. I guess I was concentrating too hard. Sorry for scaring you," I added after taking another look at his face.

"It's ok," Harry said. I stepped over to him and put my arms around his shoulders. I hadn't realized how cold I was, but Harry's arms made me feel much better. I rested my head on his shoulder. Something about standing there, in the moonlight with Harry just felt right. I pulled away slightly and looked into his eyes. He was giving me an odd look, that I couldn't understand. He reached over and pushed a stray piece of hair behind my ear. We stood there for a few more seconds without moving.

"We should go back upstairs," he muttered, pulling away. I nodded, trying to hide my disappointment. He picked up the invisibility cloak and we walked silently back to the common room. As we approached the stair cases to the dorms, I hesitated.

"Thanks for coming with me," I said softly.

"Of course," he said back, before leaning over and giving me a quick kiss on the cheek and walking up to the boys' rooms.

I couldn't help but sigh. I went back to my room and lay down in bed. I had so many things to think about that I wasn't sure if I would be able to sleep at all.

Firstly, the trees had spoken. Though it had been brief it was still amazing. I couldn't wait for my next meeting with Dumbledore to tell him what had happened.

There was another thing that I had to think about though. I couldn't stop thinking about Harry. How I was disappointed when he had pulled away and how he had looked at me before he's tucked my hair behind my ear. These feelings were brand new to me. I had never really though of Harry in any other way other than as my best friend, but for the last couple of days I had been noticing that I was thinking of him more and more. It was surprising me how much I was starting to notice the way his eyes looked, or the way his hair fell messily into his eyes. The most surprising was how his casual touches sent butterflies to my stomach and chills up my spine. I had hugged Harry countless times before and had never thought anything of it.

**Harry POV**

I was awoken by a sound coming from my right. I looked over to see Ava crouched beside my bedside table.

"Ava? What are you doing?" I muttered in the dark. She jumped violently.

"Harry! Go back to sleep. I just needed the invisibility cloak. I'm just going for a walk for a few minutes," she said quietly.

"Are you mad? It's the middle of the night!" I exclaimed.

"I want to practice something!" she replied.

_Practice something? I hate her. _I sighed dramatically and got out of bed.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Well I'm coming with you! It's dangerous for you to go out alone," I said. She told me to go back to bed, but I just ignored her and got my shoes on.

I threw the cloak over us and we walked quietly down to the Hogwarts grounds. We sat under a big oak tree by the lake. The moon was bright tonight so I could see everything nicely.

"Sit beside me, but don't talk. It may break my concentration," she muttered. I sat down beside her and watched her. She closed her eyes tightly and rested her hands on the dewy ground. I didn't know what she was doing so I just waited. Suddenly a rosebud emerged from the ground. It continued to grow and was soon a healthy, red rose.

"Wow..." I muttered. She opened her eyes and smiled.

"Here," she said as she plucked the flower from the earth and handed it to me. I looked at her face and smiled slightly at her embarrassed expression.

"I can't believe you did that," I whispered. "What else can you do?" I asked eagerly. Though I had been worried at first, after this I couldn't help but be excited.

"I'm not sure. This is the only thing I know that I can do. Dumbledore told me about things my mother could do. He said that she could cause earthquakes at will if she wanted," she replied.

"Well try to do something else!" I encouraged.

"I don't know Harry. I'm not sure what I'm capable off... or if I can control it," she said. I hadn't really thought of that.

"Just try something simple. Something that couldn't hurt anyone," I reasoned. I could see this going horribly wrong, but pushed that thought out of my head.

"I could try to talk to the trees," Ava muttered. My eyes widened with surprise.

"Yes! You did promise to tell me what they said," I said. She sighed and placed her hands on the trunk of the tree behind us. She scrunched her eyes shut. I waited but nothing happened. I just shrugged when she glanced at me. She tried again, but still nothing. I could tell she was getting impatient, but she tried again.

It was different this time though. Ava's body started to sway a little bit at first. Then her eyelids opened, and I could see that her eyes were rolling back into her head.

"Ava!" I said, shaking her softly. She didn't respond, so I shook her more violently, but she still made no response. She almost looked as though she was talking, but I couldn't hear anything. I continued to call her name, and she suddenly awoke from her trance.

"Are you ok?" He questioned. I could feel my heart beating rapidly.

"Of course I am!" she replied as if nothing had happened.

"Your eyes... your eyes began to roll back into your head. You didn't respond to me calling you," I said. It had been a scary sight.

"Oh. I guess I couldn't hear you. But I heard them Harry! They said 'we are yours'. I'm not exactly sure what they meant but it was amazing," she said enthusiastically.

_Hmm... so she had heard something!_

"I was really worried. After I tried calling your name a couple of times, you opened your mouth as if you were trying to speak but nothing was coming out," I said. I think my voice sounded a little bit harsh because her expression changed to sheepish.

"I honestly couldn't feel anything. I guess I was concentrating too hard. Sorry for scaring you," Ava said quickly.

"It's ok," I said. She put her arms around me, and I returned the hug. Her arms were really cold so I hugged her tighter, trying to warm her. She rested her head on my shoulder. I was sure she could hear my pounding heart, which was a little bit embarrassing. She pulled away from the hug, though her arms were still around me and looked at me. My heart nearly exploded in my chest. She was so beautiful. At that moment I wanted nothing more than to reach over and kiss her, but I decided against it. Instead I settled on moving a strand of hair out of her face. My hand lingered by her cheek for a second before I spoke.

"We should go back upstairs," I muttered, reluctantly pulling away. I put the cloak over us and we headed to the common room.

"Thanks for coming with me," said Ava as we approached the staircases.

"Of course," I replied. I couldn't take it anymore. She looked so beautiful, with her wind blown hair and her flushed cheeks. I leaned over and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. I could have sworn I heard her sigh as I walked to my room.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related.**_

"Today, I will be telling you about the other Elements," Dumbledore started at the beginning of our next meeting. I was again sitting on the other side of his desk. The white rose I had grown at our last meeting was sitting in front my me.

"There are, as you know, three others like yourself with Elemental powers. Each of them have unique abilities to control the element they represent. I have been trying to locate the other three but have not been successful yet," he said.

"It is my goal to unite the four of you. I think that you all will be the most powerful once united. And they may be able to help you learn to use and control your powers. Once united, it is my belief that you will be indestructible.

"It is also my belief that you will be able to exercise a certain measure of control over the other elements. They acknowledge that you are their sister, so they respond to your emotions. For example, if you are at the beach and you experience intense anger you may see that the waves start to become larger and more violent.

"Your emotional state is extremely important when using your Elemental powers. When you are experiencing a more fierce emotion, your powers are more likely to match them," he said. Something about that statement made me think.

"Professor, a few nights ago I went outside in the grounds. It was late at night and I went with Harry. I was showing him how I could grow the flower and I decided to try something different. I tried to talk to the trees. It didn't really work...until I started getting frustrated that it wasn't working. I think they did talk to me. I think they said _we are yours_. I'm not really sure what they meant," I finished.

"Ahh, that is truly amazing. By saying that they were yours, I think they were acknowledging that they are a part of you. They were recognizing that you were a part of them. You will eventually understand this yourself, but you are the earth. You are much more than just a person living among the trees, and the grass. You will understand one day, how the earth and yourself are one," he finished.

_Part of the earth... hmm. I'm not sure how I feel about that, _I thought to myself.

"So Professor, once you find out where the other Elements are, what will happen then?" I asked, uncertainly.

"Once I have discovered who they are, I will bring them to Hogwarts, and hopefully you will be able to work together to strengthen your abilities!" Dumbledore replied. "Now, for your homework. I see that your abilities are much more developed than I realized. I would like you to try your best to control your emotions. If you do feel angry or upset, it is important to calm down immediately, as you may accidentally show your powers. Not only that, but you may also aggravate the other elements," Dumbledore said, giving me a serious look.

"I will try my best, Sir. I'll try to stay away from overwhelming situations," I promised. After saying goodnight to Dumbledore, I headed back to the common room. Ron, Hermione and Harry were waiting for me when I got there.

"So! What did you talk about in this meeting?" Hermione said immediately, as you sat down beside her.

"Dumbledore was telling me about the other Elements. He wants to find the others and bring them to Hogwarts. He thinks that their presence will make all of our powers stronger," I said quietly. The common room still had several people in it so I was worried they would overhear me.

"Wicked!" Ron muttered.

"He also said something about heightened emotions strengthening my powers. He said that when I'm extremely angry or upset, my powers will most likely be more dangerous," I told them.

"Then I'd say skip defence tomorrow, or you may end up sending a tree through the window," Ron joked. I chuckled as I imagined the expression on Umbridge's face when a tree came flying into her class room.

After I had finished talking to them I decided to finish up my homework and then go to bed, as it had been a long day.

It had been a couple of days since my last meeting with Dumbledore. I had been working really hard to stay calm, though I almost lost it in Defence class, when Umbridge gave Harry a detention for wearing the wrong colour socks. It took every fibre of my being to stop me from sending that tree through her window, but I managed to calm down and focus on the page of my textbook.

The weather had been rather nice today so I decided to head outside to a more secluded part of the Hogwarts grounds and practice some stuff. I went back to my favourite oak tree that I had sat under countless times before. I had decided to start my own little flowerbed beside my oak tree. I had been coming out here pretty frequently lately and had already made a small bed of white daisies and pink carnations. I sat down in my usual spot and closed my eyes. I decided to warm up by adding to my little garden, so I sat in silence and soon opened my eyes to see some pretty, yellow tulips. I smiled at my handiwork for a few seconds.

There were so many things that I wanted to try out, but I wasn't sure if it would be too dangerous. As I was thinking, I noticed a twig that had fallen from a nearby tree. I inhaled slowly and concentrated on the twig. At first nothing happened, but after a few moments the twig gently floated toward me. That had been my intention, but I was still surprised when it lightly landed in the palm of my hand.

I kept surprising myself with the things I kept learning I could do. I practice floating the twig around the grounds for a little while longer. I then added another twig and practised sending them in opposite directions. Soon, I had the bigger twig chasing the small twig around the oak tree. It made me laugh a little bit. I looked around and realized that it had gotten later than I thought. It was probably almost curfew so I got up and started walking back. I decided to take a short cut back to the castle, on a small, rocky path. I had knew that if I wanted to make it back in time this was the only way.

As I was getting up I noticed that someone was walking toward me. When the person was closer I saw that it was Harry. I guess he had decided to come looking for me and knew I would be at my favourite spot in Hogwarts.

"Harry! What are you doing here?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"I came looking for you. It's almost curfew so I wanted to come find you before you got detention!" He said smiling.

"Thanks Harry! You didn't have to come looking for me though, but thanks," I said. We started walking along the rock path back to the castle and I began telling him about the things I had been practising today. He seemed amused by my little game with the twigs. As we talked, we didn't notice that someone was watching us. As we continued on the path the person approached us.

"Out of your common room I see," Draco Malfoy commented. He was smirking pompously at us, with his prefect badge shining on his chest.

"Oh relax Malfoy. We're just heading inside," I said, adding an eye roll for dramatic effect.

"Not so fast, Alexander. I think this deserves some points taking being taken off from Gryffindor. Let's say twenty for each of you. And let's add on five points because you're a mudblood, Alexander. And another five because I just don't like you Potter," he sneered. He had just taken away fifty points from us for being a couple of minutes past curfew.

"Excuse me? You're taking away fifty points for being later!" I yelled. I was trying to keep my temper in check but I could feel the anger rising in my chest.

"Well, and because you're Gryffindors, obviously," he said smugly. It must have been a combination of the pent up aggression for the last few days and the adrenaline from practising my magic but I could feel that I was going to lose my temper.

"You had better run, Malfoy. For your own safety," I said venomously. My breathing was getting harder and my hands were starting to shake. I could feel the speed of the wind start to pick up and I heard a distant rumble of thunder.

"Or what? You're going to cry at me?" He laughed.

"Malfoy, leave now. She's serious," Harry said. He was glancing between me and Malfoy, and must have seen the rage that I was trying to control. Malfoy just laughed harder at Harry's statement.

And then it was like a blur. It was like the magic was taking control of my body. I could feel the power pulsing in my veins. I could feel the raging wind whipping my hair across my face and the thunder and lightening getting louder. Little drop rain started falling, and I was soon soaked. I could hear the laughter stop now. I was still trying to calm down but I couldn't stop myself anymore.

I think that I acted outside my control. Suddenly I heard a scream, which roused me from my trance-like state.

When I opened my eyes, I could see Harry beside me. His face looked a little bit pale, and scared. Malfoy, looked like he had tripped as he was trying to run away, was shaking at the sight of me. I was panting pretty hard and I felt drained and collapsed on the grass.

"Go Malfoy," Harry called out. Draco didn't waste a moment. He took off running toward the castle. I wasn't sure what he had seen, but I doubted Malfoy would say anything to anyone about this. He would have to add in the parts about him screaming and running away, so I had a strong feeling that he would be too embarrassed to tell.

**Harry POV**

"Are you alright?" I asked cautiously as I approached Ava, who had fallen to the ground after her little performance. I was surprised by how scared I had been. She looked terrifying. At first I could tell that she was getting angry, but I had assumed that she would just yell at Malfoy for a minute and then we would carry on back to the common room.

She had started trembling with rage and I could feel the wind get stronger. I remember her telling us that the other elements reacted to her extreme emotions and I was getting to see it firsthand. Malfoy started laughing, though i recognized how serious this really was.

I started to hear loud thunder and lightening and the rain started. Ava closed her eyes and when she opened them she was in the same kind of trance that she had been in the day she talked to the tree. Her eyes were rolling back into her head. It was brilliant, yet at the same time, she looked terrifying.

She raised her hands up with clenched fists. As she raised her hands, rocks from the path we were walking on rose as well. Malfoy's laughter had stopped by now. Instead he just looked scared, which was understandable. Before I knew what was happening, she pushed her hands forward and the floating rocks soared through the air toward Malfoy. He screamed loudly and dropped to the ground, shielding his face. He rocks flew over his head, missing him by a second. The scream seemed to wake Ava up, and she wearily crumpled to the ground.

"Go Malfoy!" I yelled as I had rushed to Ava's side. She was still shaking but was regaining some of her colour.

"I'm ok Harry. What happened?" She asked. She clearly didn't know that she had nearly just killed Draco Malfoy. I quickly explained what happened and without warning tears started rolling down her cheeks. I knew that she hadn't meant to hurt anyone and I reached over and hugged her as she cried.

"I'm trying so hard Harry! I am! There are just so many things that I can't control yet! I was trying so hard to keep my temper from getting out of hand but look what happened. I don't think I can do this Harry. I don't know how I'm going to be able to do anything if I can't learn to control something as simple as my temper," she sobbed.

"You'll learn! You're just starting out and soon you'll be able to deal with all your magic. This is what you were born to do. You have it in your blood. It's just a matter of time before you'll be able to use your powers properly," I said, still hugging her. After a few more minutes she managed to calm down a little bit. The rain finally stopped and the lightening and thunder subsided. I helped her up and pulled the invisibility cloak over us. We walked back to the common room. I gave Ron and Hermione a brief version of what happened and then told Hermione to take Ava up to bed.

"Thanks Harry," Ava muttered as she dragged herself up the stairs. I decided that I would go to Dumbledore the next morning and explain what had happened.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related.**_

**Harry POV**

The morning after the incident with Draco I had slipped away early to go and talk to Professor Dumbledore. I went early as there was a trip to Hogsmeade today and I wanted to be back in time to leave with my friends. Since it was a Saturday everyone had slept in and I was able to go without having to explain to anyone. When I got to the gargoyle, I muttered the password, which I had gotten from my last time being in Dumbledore's office. I knocked at his door.

"Come in," said a quiet voice. I pushed open the door and walked in. Dumbledore was sitting in the chair behind his desk reading the Daily Prophet. He was chuckling quietly to himself. He looked up when the door opened though.

"Harry, to what do I owe this pleasure?" He asked cheerfully.

"Sir, I wanted to talk to you about Avery," I said.

"Ahh, yes. I was wondering when you would be coming to see me. I heard about what happened with Mr. Malfoy last night," he replied.

"You did?" I asked surprised.

"Yes Harry. Professor Snape happened to be taking a stroll of the grounds and witnessed the whole thing. I have restored the points that Mr. Malfoy took off last night," he replied.

"So, Snape told you about how she made the rocks shoot at Malfoy then?" I asked.

"Professor Snape," corrected Dumbledore, "did mention the rocks. He also mentioned that Avery seemed to be in a trance. Has this happened before?"

"Not exactly. The time when she was communicating with the tree, something similar happened. But that was only for a few moments. And we had just been sitting down under the tree. This time was different... it was like she had no control over what she was doing. Yet... she looked like she knew exactly what she was doing. She knew exactly how to manipulate the rocks that she threw. I've never seen anything like it," I finished.

"The magic that Avery possesses is a lot more powerful than she realizes. The small trick she did last night is only a small fraction of her real abilities. If her emotions get out of control, she could do much more destruction than any of us could predict. It is even more difficult for her to control as the magic is heightening her emotions. I am going to start working with her more frequently until she has perfected her abilities. I am going to ask you, Harry, to help her as best you can. Keep her away from situations where she is likely to let her emotions get the better of her."

"I will do what I can Sir. Have you had any luck finding the other Elements?" I asked.

"Why yes I have. I think I have located the Element of fire. I am hoping that he will be able to come here soon. That will unquestionably help her to direct her powers," he said. After exchanging a few more words I said goodbye to Dumbledore and rushed back to the common room before anyone realized I was gone.

**Avery POV**

I woke up that morning feeling a little bit lightheaded and my muscles were sore. There was a trip to Hogsmeade and I was actually excited to do something normal. Hermione was already awake and getting ready so I heaved myself out of bed and went to shower and get ready.

Half an hour later we were in the common room with the boys, about to leave. We walked with the rest of the Gryffindors to the Entrance Hall, where we were able to take carriages to Hogsmeade. I caught sight of Malfoy in the Entrance Hall. He gave me a deadly look and whispered something to the goons beside him. They all laughed. I did feel a little bit bad about what happened last night, but I decided to put that out of my mind and just enjoy the day.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and I got into a carriage with Ginny and Dean, who looked extremely comfortable, cuddled up together. Ron certainly did not seem pleased about this and it took us a whole butterbeer to rid him of his grumpy mood. After stopping at the Three Broomsticks, we headed to Zonko's joke shop because Ron said he needed some more dungbombs. Apparently he had used up his entire stash on Filch. After that, we ducked Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop so that Hermione could pick up a new one. That girl seemed to use up a new quill every two weeks.

Before long we found ourselves in Honeydukes. That was probably my favourite store in all of Hogsmeade. We all managed to walk out of it with our pockets considerably lighter. I bought a few boxes of candy to send back to Gran and Dylan. We wandered around the town for a little bit longer. Hermione and I stopped into a clothing store called Gladrags Wizardwear. We tried on a few outfits and made the boys hold our bags. Hermione and I giggled as we watched Harry and Ron impatiently discussing quidditch. The boys finally got fed up of waiting and we told them that we would meet them at the Shrieking Shack in an hour.

I managed to get a cute, little charm bracelet from the store. Hermione bought some earrings and some hair product that was supposed to tame the frizziest hair. After paying for our goods we headed to the Shrieking Shack. When we got there the boys were standing by the gate, waiting for us.

"There you girls are! We were wondering what became of you," joked Ron. We sat down on some large rocks and talked for a while. I felt so carefree at the moment, and I laughed more than I had in weeks.

"I want to go into the Shack," Ron said after some time of sitting on the rocks. We had been there before and I knew it wasn't haunted but that place still gave me the creeps.

"I'm going to pass, but I'm sure Hermione would like to go," I said. I had lately been noticing how Ron and Hermione looked at each other. I knew it was only a matter of time before they got together and I decided to give them a push in the right direction.

"Yes I would. Harry, would you like to come?" Hermione asked. I think Harry got my hint and declined as well. The pair left us sitting on the rocks outside the gate.

"So how are you feeling this morning?" Harry asked. I knew he was referring to my stunt last night.

"A little bit sore, but other than that I'm doing ok. Listen Harry, I'm really sorry about last night. I know I must have scared you, but I really didn't know what I was doing," I said. I had wanted to say something last night but I had just felt so exhausted that I couldn't think about anything else but bed.

"Don't worry about me, Ava. I was just concerned about you. It was pretty amazing what you did," he commented. I blushed slightly but tried not to let him see.

It was a little bit cold and I shivered slightly. He noticed and immediately took of his jacked and draped it over my shoulders. If he hadn't noticed my blush before, he most definitely had by now.

"Thanks Harry, but what if you get cold?" I asked. He just shrugged. I scooted closer to him and put my arms around him in a lame attempt at keeping him warm. He just smiled and put his arms around me. I rested my head against his chest.

"So what do you think those two are doing? Do you think they're making out already?" I asked.

"I hope so! It's about time already that those idiots got together!" Harry exclaimed.

"I know! Has Ron said anything to you about asking Hermione out?" I asked.

"He hasn't yet but we both know it's only a matter of time before they come to their senses," he said.

"I think it would have happened last year if that thing with Viktor hadn't happened," I said.

"I was sure it was going to happen. I have never seen Ron as jealous as he was. He even took down his poster of the Bulgarian National Quidditch team," he said. I laughed loudly into Harry's shoulder.

"So what about you Miss Alexander. Is there anyone you've been fancying?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well apart from Ron you mean?" I joked.

"Wow, that Ron is quite the ladies man huh?" He replied, with a laugh.

"Tell me about it! Me, Hermione, I even think Lavender Brown mentioned that he looked cute!"

"But seriously. Any guy out there that I'm going to have to have a stern talk with?" he asked.

"Well there is someone that I kind of like, but he's a good friend of mine so I don't think anything would happen," I sighed. "So what about you, Mr. Potter. How are things with Cho going?"

"Cho? I'm not dating Cho! That girl is absolutely nuts!" He cried. I couldn't help but feel a little bit relieved. I didn't think that anything would happen with Harry but that didn't mean I couldn't wish he wasn't with another girl.

"So then no girls huh?"

"Nope, there is some I like too... I doubt she likes me though," Harry replied.

"Oh, don't say that! Any girl would be lucky to have you! Look at you! You're so cute!" I joked, pinching his cheek. His eyes were so green. I could just stare at them all the time. As I sat there, I had the strongest impulse to lean over and kiss him.

_What could it hurt? The worst thing that could happen is that he says that he doesn't like me and things are a little awkward for a little while... and then I claim not to like him anymore and that would be the end of it! _

I kept trying to find a good reason to kiss him. Suddenly I felt a soft hand on my cheek. I looked back at Harry. He was giving me the same odd look that he had been giving me lately. I couldn't quite place it. I just started back at him, though I could feel my heart pounding at his touch. He seemed to be gauging my reaction.

His leaned forward slowly and before I could think, his lips touched mine. They were so soft and I returned the kiss happily. I ran my hands through his thick, messy hair and I felt him clasp his hands behind my back. The kiss felt so natural and right, though it only lasted for moments. I heard footsteps coming toward us, and we quickly broke the kiss. I glanced up to see Hermione and Ron walking to where we were sitting. I don't think that they saw anything, but I would be sure once we got back to Hogwarts, when Hermione started asking questions.

"Hey Ava, Harry!" Ron said, enthusiastically. He seemed to be in a good mood after his little trip with Hermione.

"Shall we go then?" Hermione asked. Harry and I muttered in agreement and we all headed off, back to the line of carriages where the rest of the Hogwarts students had gathered.

_What an interesting day... _I sighed.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

I was sitting in the Great Hall, eating breakfast alone. After coming back from Hogsmeade last night we had all decided to turn in early. I surprisingly fell asleep within minutes of lying down. After going to bed so early I ended up waking up before anyone else. I got ready and went down to breakfast. Since it was a Sunday, there was nobody else in the Great Hall. I relished in the quiet. It had been a while since I had just had an opportunity to be by myself, to just relax. I was either doing homework or working on Element stuff. It had become too overwhelming. I ate my toast slowly and thought about yesterday.

I was still shocked about my kiss with Harry. I wasn't really sure what to do now though or what any of this meant. Last night, after getting back, Harry and I had barely said two words to each other. I was starting to get the impression that he thought it was a mistake, but decided not to jump to any conclusions before talking to him first.

For me it had been just as I had imagined. I had felt right, and I had assumed Harry had been happy about it too, but now I wasn't sure anymore. I kept wondering if he would have broken away from me if Ron and Hermione hadn't interrupted us. I hadn't told either of them what happened yesterday, but I knew that I would have to tell Hermione sooner or later. Once I had figured out what was going on I knew that I would need some advice.

Before I was done breakfast, some students started to trickle into the Great Hall. I saw Fred and George, who waved to me before joining their friends further down the table. I also saw Neville, followed by Ginny. Harry, Ron and Hermione were nowhere to be seen. Just as I was about to head back to the common room, I saw Chester, my own, swoop down. He touched down on the table in front my me, and I noticed that he had a little roll of parchment tied to his leg. I ripped it off and opened it up.

_Dear Miss Alexander,_

_ I have some very exciting news for you. Please come to my office as soon as possible. _

_ Albus Dumbledore_

I read it a second time, before quickly ruffling Chester's feathers and leaving the Great Hall. I walked up to Dumbledore's office and the gargoyle sprang aside for me. I walked up the winding staircase and knocked at his office door.

"Come in," he responded. I opened the door and said good morning, before sitting down in my usual seat.

"Good morning, Professor. What is the exciting news you have for me?" I asked.

"I have managed to track down another of the Elements. I have managed to find Fire. He will be arriving here shortly. I would like you to show him around Hogwarts. He will be staying in the Gryffindor tower with some of the fifth year boys," he replied. I couldn't contain my smile.

_Another Element! Wow! Maybe this will mean that I'll be able to control this magic soon! _I thought.

"Wow, that was fast! I can't believe he'll be here tonight!" I said excitedly. "Where is he coming from?"

"He is an American wizard. He just graduated from Rockwood School for Witchcraft and Wizardry," Dumbledore said.

"So how old is he then?" I asked.

"He is eighteen now. Once he arrives I will send you and owl so that you can come and greet him and show him around," said Dumbledore. I said my goodbyes after he had finished explaining and went back to the Great Hall, knowing that my friends would probably be down there by now. As predicted, the three of them were sitting in our usual spot, eating breakfast.

"Good morning guys!" I said, happily, taking a seat beside Ron.

"Why on earth are you so cheerful this morning?" Ron muttered, through a mouthful of eggs.

"Well Dumbledore just called me to his office. Apparently he's found one of the Elements!" I whispered so only the three of them could hear.

"Really? This is brilliant news!" Hermione said. She seemed almost as excited as I felt.

"I know! He's going to be here sometime today, so I'm going to show him around and get him settled. He's going to be staying in Gryffindor with you boys," I said. They both nodded, though I noted that Harry wasn't really giving me any eye contact.

While they finished eating, Hermione and I excitedly discussed the arrival of the other Element.

"So where is he from?" she asked.

"I think Dumbledore said that he is coming from America. Dumbledore said that he only just graduated from Rockwood School for Witchcraft and Wizardry," I replied.

"Rockwood? That's the best magic school in North America. I've read about it! And he's older! I wonder what he looks like," she giggled. I laughed back as I noticed the discomfort on the boys' faces. They had never really like Hermione and my girl talk, which we knew and purposely ignored. We continued to discuss about him all the way up to the common room. When we reached there Ron and Harry muttered something about going to their room. Hermione and I laughed loudly at this. Once they were gone however, Hermione had more questions for me.

"So, what's going on with you and Harry?" She asked.

"What do you mean Hermione?" I said, playing dumb.

"Well, I did see what happened yesterday at the Shrieking Shack. I don't think Ron noticed though," she replied.

_Damn, I didn't think she saw!_

"I don't know Hermione. It was just a kiss. That's all. I don't think Harry is happy about it though. He hasn't talked to me or looked me in the eye since yesterday, when we got back!" I sighed.

"Don't be ridiculous! I don't know how you haven't noticed. Harry's liked you for ages!" she cried.

"What are you talking about Hermione! Harry doesn't like me, clearly! He won't even look at me!" I said sadly, knowing that Hermione was mistaken about Harry's feelings for me.

"So what are you going to do then?" she asked, hesitantly.

"Well, since I know he doesn't want anything to happen, I'm just going to get over him," I stated simply.

"You're going to get over him? How are you going to manage that?" She demanded.

"I'm not sure yet, but I don't want our friendship to be destroyed by a little kiss, so I'm going to forget about it and just go back to the way things were!" I said, though I knew it would be easier said than done.

"If you're sure, though I doubt that you'll just be able to get over him with sheer willpower," she replied.

"I'm just going to focus on my studies and learning to control the Element thing and hopefully it'll just happen by its self," I said.

"Maybe you should talk to Harry about it first, and make sure that he really didn't want anything happening," Hermione suggested. I just rolled my eyes.

"Hermione, I know that he didn't want it to happen. If he does want something, then it's going to be his job to make a move now, though I know that's not going to happen," I said. "I'll talk to him later I guess, and just make sure he knows that I don't expect anything." Hermione looked apprehensive, but she decided against sharing her opinion and just nodded silently.

"So, what about you and Ron? How was your alone time in the Shrieking Shack?" I asked.

"Oh, shut up! Ron and I are just friends!" She said, smacking me on the arm.

"Oh come on Hermione! Ron has liked you for ages!" I said, using her own words.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" She replied.

"You know what Harry told me yesterday? He said that when you were dating Viktor, Ron was extremely jealous. And Harry and I both agree that it's only a matter of time before you two get your acts together and start dating!" I said.

"He was jealous?" She asked with a small smile. I smiled back.

"Yes he was. Now, at least admit to me that you like him!" I said.

"Ugh. Fine. I do like Ron. But only a little bit!" She said before burying her hands in her face. I laughed at her quietly. Even though I had always know that they liked each other, it was still nice that she admitted it to me.

"I can talk to him if you want me to? Find out what's going on!" I asked.

"No thanks. I'll just give it some time. If nothing happens though then I may have to get your help," she said. I gave her a hug and decided to go up to my room to get some some homework.

For the rest of the day, Hermione and I sat at a table in the common room working on our astronomy homework. It took the better part of the day. At around mid-day, Harry and Ron came downstairs and announced that they were going to play quidditch for a bit. By the time the boys had returned, Hermione and I had managed to finish up the essays we had been working on. I decided that this would be a good time to talk to Harry. He had just gone up the boys' staircase. I followed after him quickly and called after him.

"Harry!" I yelled. He turned around as he was about to enter his dorm.

"Avery, what's up?" He asked.

"Listen Harry, I wanted to talk to you about what happened at Hogsmeade," I started.

"Oh, yah..." he trailed off.

"It was obviously a mistake, so maybe we should just pretend like it didn't happen or something," I said, though I kept hoping that he would refuse and ask me out instead. I knew that was probably not going to happen.

"Oh, right. That's probably for the best right?" He replied. I could feel my eyes prickling with tears but I blinked them away.

"I guess so. I just wanted to tell you that. I mean I don't want things to be awkward between us," I let out a small, nervous laugh.

"Of course not. You're my best friend, Ava," he said with a small smile. He leaned over and gave me a quick hug before heading into his room.

**Harry POV**

I had just come back from playing quidditch with Ron. It had been great to fly again and it had given me some time to think about a few things. The main thing that I was thinking about was my kiss with Ava yesterday. It had been perfect. I kept cursing Ron and Hermione for interrupting us. I couldn't shake the feeling though that she hadn't wanted it to happen. We hadn't really talked about it at all, and I was scared that she was mad about it. I decided to give her a little bit of space until I could figure things out.

I already felt so attached though. I couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous when she was talking about the fire Element guy. I decided to push that aside and I made up my mind to make my move once I got back to the Gryffindor tower.

When Ron and I returned, I saw that Ava and Hermione were studying in the common room. I decided to go upstairs quickly and change out of my sweaty, quidditch gear before talking to her. As I walked up the stairs I heard my name. Ava was jogging up the stairs behind me.

_God, she looks gorgeous, _I thought.

"Avery, what's up?" I asked.

"Listen Harry, I wanted to talk to you about what happened at Hogsmeade," she said.

"Oh, yah..." I agreed. I guess I would have to make my move now!

"It was obviously a mistake, so maybe we should just pretend like it didn't happen or something," she said. I had to use all my control to hide my disappointment.

"Oh, right. That's probably for the best right?" I replied, though I didn't agree with what I was saying at all.

_No! NO! NO! _I was screaming in my head.

"I guess so. I just wanted to tell you that. I mean I don't want things to be awkward between us," she said with a laugh. Clearly I had been mistaken. I had thought that she maybe wanted to be with me, but clearly she had wished it hadn't happened.

"Of course not. You're my best friend, Ava," I said, with a fake smile. I gave her a momentary hug, but let go quickly before I got carried away. I went into my room and closed the door. I sat down on my bed and buried my face in my hands.

_Wow, was I wrong, _I thought.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

I was sitting in the common room playing exploding snap with Ron when Dumbledore's letter came. I ripped the note off Chester's leg and read it over quickly. It told me to come to Dumbledore's office. I said goodbye to my friends and left Gryffindor tower.

I knocked at Dumbledore's office door and heard him say "come in". I opened the door. Dumbledore was sitting in his usual seat, but in the seat opposite him was a boy.

He had blonde hair that was spiked up. As I entered he turned around.

"Miss Alexander! Thank you for coming," Dumbledore said cheerfully, standing up. The blonde boy stood up as well.

"I would like you to meet the Element of fire, Benjamin Lewis," he said. Benjamin held out his hand to shake mine.

"You can just call me Ben," he said, with a smile. I couldn't help but realize how cute he was. He had really bright, blue eyes and a friendly smile. I could already see that I was going to get along with him. I shook his hand back.

"You can call me Ava," I replied. Dumbledore ushered us back to the seats in front of his desk.

"Ava will act as your guide while you are here at Hogwarts, Ben. It is important that the other students do not know your true identity, so you will be enrolling in seventh year classes. They will know you as an American transfer student. Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall are the only people that will know your true reason for being here, other than Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. Is that understood?" He asked.

"Of course," we both said.

"Ben, you will be staying in the Gryffindor tower with Ava. She will show you around before you start classes," he said. "Now, I suggest you start showing him around, before dinner time. Oh, before you leave, I would like you both to come back to my office tomorrow."

"Good evening, Professor," we both said, before leaving.

"So, welcome to Hogwarts! What do you think so far?" I asked.

"It's so cool! This place is freakin huge!" He said enthusiastically.

"Yeah, you get used to it eventually. It's actually pretty easy to find your way around after a couple of days!" I replied. We slowly made our way through the castle. I showed him some of the classrooms that he would probably be seeing. I even took him by the dungeons to show him where we had potions class.

"Through the doors on your left is the Great Hall. That's where we eat our meals and stuff," I said. We approached the Entrance Hall, and decided to take him around the grounds too.

"This is where I come out to practice," I mentioned as we approached my oak tree.

"This is a great place to practice. Would you mind showing me what you can do?" He asked. I nodded and sat down under the tree, as usual. Ben sat beside me. I concentrated on the ground for a second and a flower sprouted. Once it had finished growing, I looked over at Ben.

"Wow, that's pretty impressive!" He said.

"Why don't you show me what you can do?" I replied.

"Alright," he said. Then he held out his hand in front of me. Suddenly a blue flame appeared on his hand. I jumped, because I hadn't been expecting that. He laughed at my reaction and blew out the flame.

"Impressive," I said, still stunned. We got up from the oak tree and continued the tour. I pointed out the giant squid as we walked by the lake. It had started getting a little bit cold, so we headed back inside. The last stop on the tour was the Gryffindor tower.

"The password is 'pig snout'," I let him know. The portrait of the Fat Lady swung open. We entered the common room. Ron, Hermione and Harry were sitting right where I had left them.

"Ben, this is Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter," I introduced. Ben shook each of their hands.

"It's great to meet you all," he said.

"You'll be staying with Ron and Harry while you're here," I told him.

"Awesome!" He said, sitting down on the couch. I sat beside him. Hermione was smiling widely at me. I knew she was thinking about our conversation this morning about how he would look and stuff. He was pretty much like we had imagined him. We had both imagined him as a typical American 'surfer' guy. Ben seemed to fit that stereotype quite nicely. He was incredibly nice though, which I was relieved about. I wasn't sure what to expect with him, but I was excited to see that Ben was getting along great with my friends.

The five of us talked for some time before it was time to go downstairs for dinner. Ben still seemed a bit disoriented in the castle, so I lead the way to the Great Hall. We sat down at the Gryffindor table. Several people turned to look at us, as they had never seen a new student at Hogwarts before.

"Hello Ava," said Seamus. It seemed like he had been elected to come and find out who Ben was.

"Hey Seamus. Oh, by the way, this is my new friend Ben. He's a transfer from America. He's going into 7th year," I said casually, sticking to the alibi that Dumbledore had provided us with.

"Nice to meet you!" He said before departing back to his group of friends. I ignored the other looks that we were getting from the other tables. Before long the silver platters filled with food. We all hungrily helped ourselves. Ben managed to eat just as much as Ron, which I thought was an unattainable feat.

"Must be a boy thing," I whispered to Hermione who laughed in response. Dinner was enjoyable that night. We all laughed and joked the entire night, though I did notice that Harry didn't really seem like he was in a good mood. I made a mental note to ask him about it later. After the lively evening, I suggested that Ben and I turn in. I knew that we would have to be well rested for our meeting with Dumbledore tomorrow. He agreed and we all wished each other good night.

I slept well that night. I woke up without Hermione having to threaten me with death and I managed to get ready before her. I went down to common room to wait for Ben because I knew that he still didn't know his way to the Great Hall. He came downstairs after only a few minutes of me waiting.

"Ready to go then?" I asked.

"Yup! Ready!" He said as he pulled his book bag over his shoulder. Eventually the others joined us in the Great Hall. As we were eating breakfast, Professor McGonagall came over to us.

"Mr. Lewis, I have your schedule with me," she said. She handed him a small piece of parchment. I looked over at it as well. I laughed when I saw his schedule for this morning.

"You have double defence, potions and divination in a row. Who did you murder in your last life?" I joked. He laughed along.

"So I'm assuming this is the worst schedule you can have huh?" He asked.

"Pretty much. Sorry," I said sympathetically.

"Well, I should probably go now. It's going to take me a while to find my class anyway! I'll see you at the meeting later tonight!" He said brightly, before picking up his bag and leaving.

"So, Hermione. What do you think?" I asked jokingly.

"He's pretty cute! He seems really nice!" She replied.

"I know right? He showed me one of his Element powers yesterday. He actually lit his hand on fire, and then just blew it out!" I whispered.

"Wow. That's amazing. I wonder if he'll show me?" She wondered aloud.

"Well ask him tonight and see what he says!" I replied. I glanced at the boys who didn't seem impressed at our conversation. After Ron had finished everything in sight we left to get to class.

The day seemed to drag on, probably because I was so excited about my meeting tonight with Dumbledore. Finally, after an excruciating hour of History of Magic, the day was done. I rushed to the Gryffindor tower to drop off my bag before hurrying to Dumbledore's office. When I got there, Ben was already waiting.

"Take a seat Miss Alexander. We're going to start right away. I want to take you both outside. Today we will be working with Avery's powers. Ben, you will just help her," he said, before getting up and leading us to a set of stairs I hadn't seen before. We walked down the staircase, which lead to a small private garden.

"Please join hands, and concentrate very hard. I want to see what will happen," he instructed. We silently joined our hands together. I closed my eyes and concentrated on our joined hands. The ground shook softly at first. As I concentrated harder, the ground shook more violently. So violently, in fact, that I was thrown to the ground. The connection that Ben and I had formed was broken. Almost immediately, the rumbling stopped. Though I know Ben's powers had helped me with mine, I had noticed something. When I had concentrated my energy this time, I had felt the powerful magic coursing through my veins. I could also feel my body being overcome by power. Something about Ben's presence had helped me direct that power into the earth, rather than being consumed by it.

"Brilliant," Dumbledore said quietly. "Ava, you managed to stay in control this time. You have made excellent progress. You will eventually be able to do that without Ben's help!"

"I hope so. I can't wait to be able to do that on my own!" I said cheerfully. We tried the same thing a couple more times. The last time, we decided to try without Ben's help. Dumbledore instructed him to stand close to me, but without touching me.

I did the same thing as we had just been practising. I sent my energy and magic into the earth beneath my feet. It shook slightly and I soon started to feel as though the magic was taking over. Rather than giving into it, I kept directing the power out of my body. I was fighting against the impulse to let the magic take over, and I felt like I wouldn't be able to handle it anymore. Without thinking, I broke the connection and the ground stopped shaking. I collapsed to the ground, panting and covered in a cold sweat.

Ben extended his hand and helped me off the ground. I felt so drained that I had to hold onto his arm to keep from falling over. Dumbledore brought us back into his office and gave me a glass of pumpkin juice. I sipped it gratefully. After I had regained some of my strength, Dumbledore said it would be fine for us to leave. He told us to return in two days to practice again. I was still feeling a little bit lightheaded so Ben put his arm around me waist to keep me from falling over.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related.**_

__It had been a couple of weeks since Ben's arrival at Hogwarts. Ben and I had been spending most of our spare time together. We had been spending a lot of our time in Dumbledore's back garden, practising our magic. I was surprised by the speed at which my powers were developing. Even though I had only been working with Ben for a short time, I was able to see a drastic improvement from a few weeks ago. Now I was able to control myself enough that I didn't pass out with exhaustion. I was progressing enough that I didn't need Ben's help to direct my magic anymore. We had started working on his powers now too. I had known that his powers were going to be amazing but when after working with him for a short amount of time, I was shocked by what he could do. It was like nothing I had ever seen. During one of our practice sessions he actually set a tree on fire. He quickly used his wand to put the fire out.

He had been fitting in really well here, and was easily making friends. Everyone was eager to make friends with the mysterious, American transfer. He was getting along well with my friends too. Him and Ron supported the same quidditch team, so they immediately bonded over that. Ben and Hermione had also become friends because Ben was interested in hearing about the research Hermione had been doing on the Elements thing. They often sat in the common room after classes discussing some of the things she had been reading. I was pretty grateful that they had become friends, because I knew that if Ben wasn't around I would be the one that would have to hear about her research.

Harry was the only person that didn't really seem to like Ben. Harry just ignored Ben altogether for the most part, though if Ben did ask him something, Harry would respond with one word. I couldn't understand why Harry was acting this way! Every person that Ben had met here at Hogwarts loved him, but Harry seemed to have made up his mind after only a few hours. Ben had noticed something strange too. One day, when we were walking to Dumbledore's office for a meeting, Ben asked me about Harry's weird behaviour. I just brushed it off and told him he was just imagining it, because I wasn't sure what to tell him. After that Ben just kept his distance from Harry, and Harry didn't seem to mind at all.

Working with Ben was making me realize how much work I still had before I would be able to use my powers for anything. I couldn't help but think about the war with Voldemort. I tried to put it out of my mind, but I had been waking up in a cold sweat a lot lately. I kept imagining having to defend my friends using my powers but losing control and hurting them. It made me work harder than ever to get better.

Today had been a lazy day. It was a Saturday, so we didn't have classes that we had to get to and we didn't have a meeting with Dumbledore. All of us were lounging around in the common room when Hermione decided to go to the library. Ron and Ben started a game of wizards chess after that. I was sitting on the couch watching with a sulking Harry. Ron and Ben were too immersed in their game so I decided to take this opportunity to find out what was bugging Harry.

"How's it going Harry?" I asked, nonchalantly. He glanced up from the book he was reading.

"It's going alright. What about you?" He replied.

"Not too bad! Training is going pretty well!" I said with a smile.

"That's good to hear. At least we're sure that you wont explode the planet now," he joke. I rolled my eyes and smacked him on the arm.

"You'd better watch it, Potter. I can have a boulder chasing you around Hogwarts for the rest of the evening," I said. He laughed along with me. "So, I hear that quidditch is going to be starting up really soon!" I commented.

"Yeah, it is. Are you still going to try out?" He asked. I hadn't really thought about quidditch lately. I knew that I had too much to think about right now to also get involved in quidditch.

"I don't think I can. I'm already having to balance my lessons with Dumbledore and my school work. I don't think I have enough time for it. I think Ben's going to try out though!" I replied. This was my sneaky way of bringing up his issue with Ben.

"Oh, is that right?" He replied uninterestedly.

"Yeah. He's going for the chaser position. He played at his old school," I said.

"That's great," Harry muttered.

"Ok, Harry, clearly you have a problem with him! What's the matter?" I whispered though I knew that nobody was paying us any attention.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Harry.

"Listen, he's never been anything but nice to you! So you have to have some reason for disliking him!" I hissed. I was starting to get fed up of Harry's mood swings.

"He just seems like an ass. And I don't particularly like how he treats you! He just flirts with you and puts his arm around you though he barely knows you," he snapped. I furrowed my brow in confusion. If I didn't know any better it sounded like Harry was jealous. I hadn't even noticed that Ben did those things. Since we spent so much time training, we had to hold hands a lot. It didn't really feel odd for Ben to place his arm around me. It felt completely natural. And as for flirting... I had never noticed anything of the sort. He was just naturally friendly with everyone. Harry was clearly misinterpreting our friendship for something more, though I couldn't understand why it would matter to him.

"Look Harry, Ben and I are friends. We're both Elements, so we share something very important. He's very important to me, so you're just going to have to learn to deal with him! And as for the flirting and stuff, I honestly don't know what you're taking about, but I suggest you keep it to yourself," I snapped back.

"Can't you see that he likes you?" He cried. Ron and Ben looked over at us. They didn't have any context for Harry's statement so they didn't know what we had been talking about. I gave Harry a sharp look and he lowered his voice so only I could hear.

"I can't believe you're so clueless. He likes you and you're just leading him on!" He whispered.

"Harry! He's just a friend! And even if he did like me, or if I liked him for that matter, it is none of your business!" I said venomously.

"I'm just looking after you, Ava," he said sadly.

"Well, you don't need to. I can look after myself," I said simply. I said a quick good night to the boys and stalked off to my room. I couldn't figure out how our fight had started. It was so unnecessary, but I was so angry that I wasn't really thinking clearly. I couldn't believe what Harry had said either! Ben liking me! That was preposterous and it had come out of nowhere.

_Why would Harry think that? _I thought angrily. I tried to think about times that Ben and I had spent together without everyone else. He did playfully hold my hand a lot, and he always called me 'beautiful' or 'honey' but I figured that was an American thing. As I was sitting on my bed still fuming, Hermione came into the room.

"Hey Ava. Ron told me to come and check on you. He said something about you having a fight with Harry," she said. I sighed but decided that Hermione would be an good, impartial person to talk to.

"Well, I decided to ask Harry why he didn't like Ben. It kinda just blew up from there. Harry said something about Ben liking me and that he was trying to protect me," I told her.

"Ava...," she said slowly. "I hate to say I told you so, but I did tell you that Harry liked you. I mean obviously he's jealous of your closeness with Ben."

"Hermione. That's not it. He's just being a jerk. Even if I did like Ben, it's none of his damn business," I cried.

"Do you like Ben?" she asked quietly.

"What? No. I don't think so... I don't know. I never really thought about it. He's really great, and funny but I hadn't really thought anything off it," I replied thoughtfully.

"Well, I do agree with Harry about Ben liking you. You're obviously not so good at taking his hints. I don't think that Harry reacted very well to it though," Hermione said.

"So you're agreeing with Harry? That Ben likes me? What happened to girl power?" I cried, though I wasn't really angry anymore.

"It's just my honestly opinion. And I think that if you do like Ben, then you should just go for it!" She smiled.

"Oh Hermione. What a mess. Everything is just so messed up. I'm just so overwhelmed with everything... school, my lessons with Dumbledore, now this Harry thing!" I said, as Hermione came over and sat beside me. She put her arm around my shoulder and I rested my head on her shoulder.

I couldn't believe how everything had become this complicated. Even if Harry was right about the Ben thing then I would have to deal with that. It was also difficult because I was so confused about my feels for both boys. I still had feelings for Harry. Even though we had agreed that our kiss had been a mistake, I still couldn't stop thinking about it. I kept hoping that Harry would make a move but nothing had happened since that day at Hogsmeade.

Now I had to throw my feelings about Ben into this mess too. I had to admit that he was pretty gorgeous. And being with him felt so natural. It was so much less complicated than what I was feeling for Harry. It would be so much easier to be with Ben, but I knew that my feelings for Harry would always be stronger. I wasn't even sure if I liked Ben at all.

All of this thinking was making my head hurt so I decided to put it out of my head. I told Hermione that I needed to go to bed so she said goodnight and went back down to the common room.

I lay down in bed with my head swimming.

_Things are about to get very interesting, _I thought before drifting off to sleep.

_**Sorry this was really short and stuff...I've been really busy today, so this was just a quick, update chapter! I'll update soon! :) **_

_**Thx for reading!**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

By the next morning, Harry and I weren't speaking. Breakfast was a pretty silent event, as Ron and Hermione knew about our fight. Ben didn't seem to notice anything, and he chatted happily to Angelina Johnson about the upcoming quidditch try-outs. Harry was glaring down at his eggs as he listened to their conversation.

After I had hurriedly finished breakfast, Hermione and I left the table. I took a seat far away from my normal one, and Hermione loyally followed me. The boys came into the class soon after and sat at the opposite end of the class. It was almost funny to me. Almost. It was like Harry and I had gotten a divorce and I had gotten Hermione in the settlement. I laughed quietly to myself.

The day went on without incident, though Harry and I didn't sit together for the rest of our classes. I was just looking forward to my meeting with Dumbledore later tonight. It would be a good chance to just forget about some of my problems and just concentrate on my magic. After class I went up to my room to do some homework before my meeting.

At 6:45, I went to the common room. Ben was waiting for me on the couch.

"Ready to go?" He asked cheerfully. Man, this guy was always so freakin' happy.

"Yup! Let's go!" I replied. We walked down the 7th floor corridor, just as always to Dumbledore's office. I muttered the password (Acid Pops) and we walked up the spiral staircase. I knocked and opened the door when we heard the familiar "come in".

"Good evening," said Dumbledore. We took our seats.

"Good evening, Professor," we chimed.

"Today, I would like to try something different. In the past we have worked on learning to suppress your abilities. Instead of working on that today, because it is clear to me that you both have succeeded at learning control, I would like to work on collaborating your powers. I want to test your abilities to join your powers to create an unstoppable force. This will require you to practice the control that you have learned however, as this will be more powerful magic than either of you have experience. Shall we go to the garden now?" He asked. We nodded nervously, and followed him through a set of doors.

The cool evening air felt wonderful. I felt like I had been cooped up in the castle for far too long, though in reality it had just been a couple of days.

"Stand in the centre of the garden if you please," Dumbledore instructed. We obliged, and took our place in the centre of the circular garden.

"You must concentrate on letting your powers work in harmony," Dumbledore whispered. I inhaled deeply, letting my mind clear of my thoughts and problems. I simply concentrated on the sound of the breeze rustling the leaves of the tree. I directed my energy into the ground below me. I wasn't really sure what was supposed to happen but I concentrated nonetheless.

I could feel my magic taking over. It was different than before though. I had enough control that I wasn't going to fall into a trance, but it was as if my magic was working on it's own accord. It was as if it knew that I wasn't sure what to do so it took over, though I knew that I could be able to stop it if it got out of control. I felt the ground beneath my feet crack and tremble. I looked around at the amazing sight before my eyes. The patch of grass that Ben and I were standing on had cracked so we were on a small grass island, separating us from the rest of the garden. The little island was enclosed with a ring of blazing fire. I glanced over at Dumbledore, who was smiling slightly at us.

"Excellent work," he said. I couldn't understand how he was still happy even though we had just destroyed his garden.

"Miss Alexander, if you don't mind, would you fix the ground back?" he asked politely.

"Of course, Sir!" I said. "Ben, could you put out your fire?"

"Oh right!" he said with a laugh. He exhaled softly, and the fire disappeared. The grass underneath was charred. I sent my magic into the little island below us and the cracked ground healed itself. The smoking grass turned back to it's original shade of green. I looked at my handiwork, please.

"Thank you, now if you'll follow me back inside," he said, before turning to walk up the stairs. Once we were back in his office we seated ourselves as usual.

"What you demonstrated downstairs was an essential skill that we must continue to work on. A time will come where you will be required to use your powers, along with the other two Elements, together. It is of the utmost importance that you master this skill.

"I am happy to say that I am very close to discovering the location of another Element. I will be taking a trip to visit her tomorrow. For this reason, our meetings will be cancelled for the rest of the week. Hopefully, we will have a new companion for our next meeting," he said. He then told us that we could go now. We excitedly bid him goodnight and left.

"So what do you think this new Element is? Air or water?" I whispered.

"No clue! I wonder if people will get suspicious though. If there's another new transfer I mean?" He asked. I hadn't thought of that. If there was another new student in Gryffindor that automatically hung around us, it would probably look weird.

"Hmm.. well I'm sure Dumbledore has a plan about it. And we don't even know hold old they'll be! He or she could be as old as Dumbledore himself!" I said. We started walking toward the Gryffindor common room, but I didn't really feel like going back just yet. It was a little bit too chilly to roam the grounds, so I settled on the Astronomy tower. It was my second favourite place in Hogwarts. On a clear night you could see almost to Hogsmeade. And the stars were brilliant.

"Hey, Ben. I'm not really in the mood to go back to the common room. I think I'm going to go up to the astronomy tower. You're welcome to come with me if you'd like," I offered. He thought about it for a moment.

"Sure! I'd love to go! I don't think I've ever been up there!" So we turned and walked in the opposite direction. I lead him up three flights of stairs and down a few hallways before we reached a door. I unlocked it with my wand and we walked up the staircase that the door revealed. It was so peaceful up here. I lead him to the ledge of the tower so that we were looking out on the grounds of Hogwarts. This view was the most amazing part of this school. We could see the entire lake from up here. I could see the giant squid splashing about. Thought it was dark, it was still possible to discern my small flower garden by my oak tree. In the distance we could see a light on in Hagrid's little hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

The most spectacular thing though was the night sky. It was a pretty clear evening, so it was possible to see thousands of tiny pinpricks of light in the sky. The great crescent moon was reflected over the black water. It was marvellous. I glanced over at Ben to see what he thought. It was clear from his expression that he loved it just as much as I did.

"Like it?" I whispered.

"Are you kidding? This is amazing!" He replied. I conjured a blanket and spread it out on the ground. I took a seat and Ben followed. We just sat in silence, and watched the stars. As we lounged on the blanket, my fight with Harry entered my mind again. Watching the stars with Ben was a really romantic situation, and I knew that it would just help to prove Harry's point. But he couldn't be right.

_He just can't be right,_I kept repeating to myself. I probably looked deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" Ben said with a smile I must have looked ridiculous, because I could see that he was trying to suppress his laughter. I sighed.

"I was just thinking about Harry," I said sadly.

"What's the matter?" He said, all traces of laughter gone.

"We had a fight... about you actually," I said softly. I was reluctant to tell Ben about the fight but I figured he would be the only person that really back me up.

"About me? Did I do something to offend either of you?" He said worriedly.

"No! It's nothing that you did! It's just Harry being a big jerk! He seems to think you like me or something. Hermione thinks he's angry because _he _likes me," I complained.

"Oh. Well that's obviously correct. Even though I've only been here for a short time I can tell that Harry likes you!" Ben replied. I stared at him with surprise.

"Well that's beside the point! Even if you did like me, which is obviously ridiculous, it's none of his business!" I cried.

"Why would that be so ridiculous?" He asked quietly.

"What do you mean? " I asked confused.

"I mean... would it be so terrible if I liked you?" He asked again, but this time he scooted closer to me on the blanket. I couldn't understand what he was saying.

"No... I mean... you're great! But I know you don't. I just don't know why Harry is starting problems!" I was flustered. He was giving me a funny look.

"You're wrong," his voice trailed off.

"About what?" I whispered back.

"About me liking you..." with that, he raised his hand to my cheek and cradled my face in his palm.

_This cannot be happening..._I thought. I didn't move though. His warm hand felt nice on my cool cheek. He was watching my reaction. When he realized that I wasn't pulling away, he closed the little bit of space between us on the blanket.

"What are you..." I wasn't able to finish my sentence though, because his lips met mine. I felt myself returning the kiss, rather enthusiastically. I felt his lips curve into a smile. At first the kiss was gentle, like he was trying not to scare me away or something. The kiss soon turned more forceful. He parted my lips with his tongue. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and let my fingers tangle in his thick hair. He, in turn, wrapped his arms securely around my waist.

_Damn. Harry was right, _was all I could think. The kiss wasn't anything like the one with Harry. I didn't feel the butterflies like I had with Harry. My heart wasn't pounding like it had before. However, it felt nice that someone wanted to kiss me. I put the thought out of my mind and deepened the kiss

After a few more seconds, I pulled away. Ben had a large grin on his face. I returned the smile.

"I think we should get back to the common room before someone catches us," I said. Ben nodded and stood up. He held out his hand and helped me up. We started walking out, hand in hand. I quickly flicked my wand and the blanket disappeared.

We hurried back to Gryffindor tower, still holding hands. As we got to the portrait of the Fat Lady, I unclasped my hand and said the password. I wasn't quite sure I wanted everyone to know what just happened... especially Harry. When we walked in, my friend were, as always, sitting on the couch. I didn't feel in the mood to have them ask me any questions, so I said a quick good night. Before I could run up the stairs, Ben reached over and gave me a hug, I returned it, though I couldn't help but notice Harry's stoney expression from over Ben's shoulder.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

"YOU DID WHAT?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Well, technically he kissed me, but yes," I clarified. Hermione just stared at me, with her mouth wide.

"But you kissed him back! AH! That's why you were weird last night!" Hermione said jumping up.

"Ok, keep it down woman! I don't want all of Hogwarts knowing!" I said as I pulled her back onto her bed. She had on a very smug look.

"Alright, alright. So, I see that Harry was right, huh?" She grinned.

"I'm trying not to dwell on that," I replied.

"Are you going to tell him about what happened?" She asked.

"No! Not a chance. I don't want to give him the opportunity to gloat!" I cried.

"And you don't want to make your fight worse? Because you've finally figured out that he was actually jealous?" She hinted.

"I know no such thing. I just don't want to deal with this until I absolutely have to!" I said with an eye roll.

"Wait, but what about your feelings for Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know Hermione!" I was almost regretting telling her, but I knew that I needed some sisterly advice. "I have no idea how I feel... I mean I obviously like Ben. I wouldn't have kissed him back if I didn't like him. But Harry is... different. I like him a lot. But even if you are right and Harry does like me, it'd be so complicated! We're both too stubborn. I mean look at this fight. We're not even dating and we're still fighting like this," I said with a loud sigh.

"You need to talk to Harry. You just need to be honest and tell him how you feel, and if he doesn't return the feelings you and explore these feelings with Ben!" Hermione suggested. I considered her solution for a minute. It did make sense. Talking to Harry would immediately eliminate one option; if Harry said that he did like me then I knew that Ben would be eliminated and if Harry didn't like me, then he was automatically eliminating himself. I knew Hermione was right but the idea of actually telling Harry that I fancied him was terrifying. If he didn't feel the same way it could potentially ruin our friendship, though I was sure Harry and I were close enough that we could make it through.

"Ugh. I know you're right Hermione, but I really don't want to do that," I said wearily. "And I don't want to hurt Ben... if Harry does like me that is."

"I understand. What a difficult situation. Well, you're going to need to decide soon because you have to be around both of them constantly. If Ben says something in front of Harry, he's going to think that you and Ben are dating and then it'll be over," Hermione said logically. Even though I couldn't argue with her, it was still really annoying.

"I am aware of all of this Hermione! I should just give up on both of them and get a bunch of cats!" I cried dramatically. Hermione laughed at this.

"I think you're a little bit young to be thinking about becoming a 'cat lady'," she joked.

"Well, at this point I can't think of any other solution!" I flopped onto my bed and buried my face in my pillow.

**Ben POV**

I was sitting in common room with Ron. We were playing another game of Wizard's Chess. Harry was sitting on an armchair close by reading a book about quidditch. The girls had gone up to their dorm.

"Ron. Can I ask you something?" I asked. I said it loud enough for Harry to hear. I noticed that his eyes stopped moving though he was staring at his page, showing that he was listening to what I was saying.

"Sure, mate. What's up?" Ron said, as he looked back at the chess board.

"What do you think about me asking out Ava?" I asked, and saw that Harry was now glaring down at his page. I knew that Harry like Ava too, and I wanted him to know that he had lost his chance with her. I usually wasn't this vindictive, but this chick was making me crazy!

"Oh, I didn't know you fancied her..." Ron said nonchalantly as he glanced at Harry.

"Well, I guess I do," I replied.

"Does she like you back, do you know?" He asked nervously.

"Well, she had no problem with me kissing her!" I said with a smile. Just when I thought that Harry's face couldn't get any more red, it did.

"You kissed her?" Ron exclaimed.

"Well yeah. After our lesson she said she wanted to go to the astronomy tower so I went with her. And I kissed her... and she returned the kiss," I explained. I heard a loud crash from my left. I looked over at Harry, who had slammed his book shut and was trembling with anger.

"Stay away from her!" He yelled. I stood up angrily.

"I'll go wherever I want! And the only person who can tell me to stay away is Avery!" I yelled back. We were standing right in front of each other now... just punching distance away...

"I said stay away! You hardly know her! I've known her for five years now!"He cried.

"Yes, you've known her for five years and YOU'VE NEVER MADE A MOVE! You lost your chance, bro!" I said through gritted teeth.

"That's none of your business! Just stay away from her or you'll be very sorry!" He threatened. I could feel my temper rising, and I could feel the palms of my hand feeling fiery. I knew that Harry wouldn't be able to stand up to me if I lost control, but I also knew that I could really hurt him which I didn't want to do.

"Is that a threat?" I asked quietly. My palms were itching now. I inhaled deeply, and tried to suppress my temper, to no avail.

"Well, I guess you'll find out if you don't stay away from her," he glowered. I couldn't control it anymore. I could feel the white hot rage and I knew that this night was not going to end well. The fire in my palms got more intense. My hands were on fire. Literally. The palms of my hands were on fire. Without thinking, I threw the fire at Harry. I didn't even know I was able to do that. It was almost like little fireballs were flying from my hand.

Harry screamed loudly and fell to the store. When I realized what I had done, I immediately exhaled and put the fire out. I could tell he was pretty injured.

**Ava POV**

I was still sulking about in my room. I was silently making a pro-con list for both boys in my head. Suddenly I heard a shriek from the common room. Hermione and I glanced at each other before getting up and running downstairs to the common room. What I saw in front of me was truly unexpected. Ben had somehow managed to catch Harry's clothes on fire. I watched as Ben quickly put out the flames and rushed to Harry's side. Harry, clearly injured, was moaning in pain. Ron, who seemed to have regained his mobility rushed to Harry as well. Along with Ben, he carried Harry out of the common room, presumably to the hospital wing. Hermione and I rushed after them. We were behind them within a minute.

"What happened?" I demanded. The boys hadn't realized Hermione and I had joined them.

"Harry and I sorta got into a fight. I lost control. I am so sorry," Ben muttered. I knew how easy it was to lose control and I could tell that Ben was genuinely sorry. Once we got to the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey came running toward us.

"What happened?" She cried. We brought Harry over to the bed she point out to us.

"A spell backfired," Harry muttered. Ben was surprised, as I'm sure he thought that Harry was going to turn him in to Madam Pomfrey.

"Ugh. You children, always testing out new spells. I have at least six kids in here a week who have singed of their eyelashes or lost all their teeth. Well, Potter. Your injuries look pretty severe. I think you're going to have to stay here overnight," she said briskly. She hurried back into her office and came back seconds later with a steaming cup of potion.

"Here. Drink this. It will help to heal your skin. And you lot should clear off now. Potter needs his rest," she said, shooing us from the room.

We walked silently back to the common room. Ben looked really upset.

"I can't believe I lost control like that. One minute we were just yelling at each other and the next minute I was throwing fireballs at Harry. I didn't even know I could do that!" he muttered.

"Well, I know it's really hard to control, so I can understand how you lost it. What I don't understand is why you guys were fighting!" I said.

"I think you should talk to Harry about that," Ben muttered. I sighed, but decided that I should probably go talk to him. I decided to sneak up to Harry's room and grab the invisibility cloak, and when the common room had cleared out, I would go and visit Harry in the Hospital Wing.

When we got back I immediately ran up the boys staircase and took the cloak, and quickly shoved it in my pocket. I don't think my friends had noticed, and I didn't particularly want them to know, because then I was sure they would want to join me and stuff. I told everyone I was turning in early and went upstairs to my room to wait.

After an hour I heard the bed beside me creak, meaning that Hermione had decided to go to bed. An hour later I decided it was safe to go on. I pulled the curtains around my bed shut, so that if Hermione woke up, she wouldn't see me. As predicted, the common room was deserted. I threw on the cloak and left Gryffindor tower. I tiptoed to the Hospital Wing and let myself into the room.

The infirmary was dark, but I remembered where Harry's bed was. I quietly walked over as I pulled off the cloak. Harry wasn't asleep but he didn't seem to notice me coming.

"Harry," I whispered. He jumped violently.

"Ava! What are you doing here?" He asked.

**Ha! Cliffhanger (sorta)! Will update soon!**


	15. Chapter 15

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related.**_

"Ava! What are you doing here?" Harry asked, surprised.

"I wanted to check to see how you're feeling," I whispered so that Madam Pomfrey wouldn't come out to check on him.

"I'm doing alright. Can't sleep though. This potion is brutal!" He complained. He shifted over, so I could sit beside him.

"Oh gosh. Harry, I'm so sorry. About everything! About the fight... about you getting hurt..." I said. I could feel myself getting a little bit misty-eyed but I blinked back any tears. I didn't want to turn into a blubbering idiot, after all.

"I'm sorry too! I was being a jerk. It's none of my business who you like. And don't worry about me being hurt," he sighed.

"And Ben feels really bad too. It's so easy to lose control when there's so much magic to deal with, so just know that he really didn't mean to hurt you," I replied.

"I know that. That's why I didn't say anything to Madam Pomfrey. It was an accident. Actually I think I deserved it a little bit," he replied, embarrassed.

"Oh... your fight with Ben. He wouldn't tell me what happened. Why were you two fighting?" I asked. Harry inhaled deeply, as if he was trying to think of a way to explain. I just watched him, expectantly.

"I heard about what happened earlier in the astronomy tower," he started.

_Crap, _was all I could think.

"Ben was asking Ron for advice about asking you out... and I heard. I think that was his intention really. But I just got really angry and we started yelling at each other and then.. Ben did the fire thing," he explained.

"But why were you so angry about that?" I asked softly. I guess I was going to end up using Hermione's suggestion after all. Harry seemed hesitant to answer.

"Harry! Come on. We're best friends! You can tell me anything," I urged. He looked down at his lap.

"I guess I was a little bit jealous," he muttered. Shock spread through me, but I hid it.

"Wait, are you saying that you like Ben now?" I joked. He smiled slightly, but rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm saying that I like you," Harry said seriously. My eyes widened a little bit. So... Hermione had been right. I didn't know what to say to this. I just nodded stupidly.

"Listen, Ava. I don't expect anything from you. I know you said that our kiss was a mistake, so I'll respect that," he said. I was still just staring at him, not saying anything. Finally I managed to find my voice.

"Harry, I said that because you were acting so weird after. You weren't even looking at me, so I told you that to make it easier for you," I confessed.

"I wasn't talking to you and stuff because I thought that you didn't like me," he laughed. I realized how ridiculous the situation was and buried my face in Harry's shoulder as I started giggling.

"We're idiots, Harry. I hope you know that!" I said through giggles.

"Yes, we are," he agreed, through his own laughter. Suddenly, we heard some noise coming from Madam Pomfrey's office. I quickly flung the cloak over me just in time.

"Potter, what is the commotion out here?" She demanded.

"Sorry, Ma'am. Just got a bit of a cough," he lied.

"Hmm.. alright. Try to get some sleep," she said, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Will do. Good night!" Harry called, as she walked back into her office. When it was safe I pulled the cloak off. My laughter had died down now and it was replaced with a more serious expression.

"So, Harry. What does this all mean?" I asked, referring to our earlier confessions.

"I don't know. I mean you like Ben now..." He said, though I could tell that he also asking me if it was true.

"I don't know. He's so great and we have so much in common... but that kiss just happened," I clarified. "He kissed me... and I didn't push him away. That's about it." I know that wasn't entirely true though. I didn't really have feelings for Ben exactly, but I had almost welcomed the kiss. It had been really nice to have someone care about me, and after all the drama with Harry, I had kissed him back happily. I decided not to give Harry all the gory details though.

"So what are you saying then?" Harry asked with a small smile.

"I'm saying that... we should see what happens and go from there," I suggested.

"Hmm... alright. That sounds like a good plan," he said with smirk. He casually put his arm around my shoulder, and I snuggled down at his side.

"So, what are you going to tell Ben?" Harry asked, nonchalantly.

"Well, I'll just tell him that he's a good friend and that's how I want things to stay," I replied. I hope that this would cause any issues between Ben and I. I mean we did have to work together all the time.

_I guess we'll see that soon enough, _I thought.

I ended up staying the whole night in the hospital wing. It's not what you think though! Promise! All we did was talk. Sometime in the early hours of the morning, I must have fallen asleep with my head still resting on Harry's shoulder. It was a light outside when I woke up. I was a little bit disoriented when I awoke, but I realized where I was. The Hospital Wing was still quiet, letting me know that Madam Pomfrey wasn't up yet. I rolled out of bed as quietly as possible, so as not to wake Harry. I gathered up the cloak and tucked into the pocket of my robes. Before leaving I took a moment to look at Harry. He looked so peaceful, with his eyes closed and his glasses slightly askew. I leaned down and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. His eyes fluttered open.

"You're leaving?" He asked groggily.

"Yeah, I need to go before Madam Pomfrey catches me. Sorry I woke you up," I whispered.

"Alright. I'll see you in the common room later," he said. I smiled and slipped out of the door. I walked quickly through the hallway and was soon at the portrait of the Fat Lady. She was asleep and didn't take too kindly to being woken up.

"Pig snout," I said. She gave me a dirty look, but swung open anyway. The common room was thankfully still empty. I quietly crept up the stairs to the girls' dorms. I went into my room and was happy to see that nobody would catch me. I lay down in bed and tiredly closed my eyes. I was asleep in a matter of minutes.

What felt like minutes later, Hermione was shaking me awake.

"Ava, get up! You've got a letter!" She said, handing me a piece of sealed parchment. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and took the paper.

_Dear Avery,_

_ Please come to my office this morning as soon as you receive this message. Also, please bring Ben. Thank you._

_ Albus Dumbledore_

I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed. Before getting reading I decided to go tell Ben that we had to go to Dumbledore's office.

"Ben!" I hissed. He grunted in response. "Ben! We have to go see Dumbledore right now! Get your ass out of bed!" I called, before stalking back to my own room to quickly throw on some fresh clothes. In fifteen minutes, Ben and I were en route to Dumbledore's office. I felt like there was a bit of an awkward silence after the fight between Ben and Harry. I was sure Ben thought that I was mad about what happened with his powers.

"I'm going to tell Dumbledore about what happened last night," Ben muttered.

"Well, I'm sure that he won't be too angry. Harry's fine, and he understands that you didn't really mean to hurt him," I ensured.

"How do you know he's fine?" Ben asked.

"Oh, just from what Madam Pomfrey told us," I quickly covered.

"Oh, alright," he said. We lapsed into the awkward silence again. We reached Dumbledore's office and continued through the gargoyle to the winding staircase, and knocked.

"Come in," we heard. I pushed open the office door and we sat in front of Dumbledore's desk.

"Good morning, Professor," we said.

"Good morning. So nice of you to join me today. I have some exciting news for you both. I have contacted another of the Elements. She will be joining us shortly," he told us, excitedly.

"That's great news, Professor!" I exclaimed. Ben was just sitting quietly beside me, staring at his hands.

"Professor Dumbledore, I have to tell you something," Ben said, finally.

"Yes, Ben?" he asked.

"Well, I don't know if you heard what happened to Harry last night?" Ben started.

"I am aware of Mr. Potter's trip to the Hospital Wing. I am also very much aware of the reason that Harry was forced to go to the Hospital. This should motivate you to work harder than ever to better your control," Dumbledore finished.

"Of course, Professor. I'm just so sorry that happened," Ben sighed.

"Harry will recover from his injuries. Just make sure that it does not happen again," Dumbledore said with a meaningful stare.

"I won't. I'm going to get myself under control," Ben said, with a weary smile.

"Well, you should both go and enjoy the rest of your day," Dumbledore said with a kind smile. Ben and I said good day and left his office.

**Hope you all like this chapter! :) Thanks for reading!**


	16. Chapter 16

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

_**HEY EVERYONE! I'm sorry I've been MIA for a few days! My computer decided to die... and it was being fixed for the last couple of days! I only just got it back today and started writing immediately!**_

_**MORE UPDATES SOON! :)**_

Ben and I walked back to the common room. Ben seemed a lot happier than when we were walking to Dumbledore's office. We were talking about the new Element that Dumbledore mentioned.

"This is going to be so cool! I wonder what we'll be able to do with another person!" Ben exclaimed excitedly.

"I guess we'll see soon enough!" I replied. We had reached the Gryffindor entrance. I gave the password to the Fat Lady and she swung open. We were greeted by our friends in the common room.

"Hey guys! How's it going?" Ben asked.

"We're just waiting for Harry. He's supposed to be here in a few minutes," Hermione told us. I obviously already knew this, because Harry had told me last night.. but I decided not to announce that. I collapsed on the couch beside Ron and put my feel up on the small table in front my me. I hadn't gotten much sleep this morning after I had gotten back from the Hospital Wing so I decided to rest my eyes for a minute.

I let my mind wander as we waited. I thought about last night with Harry. Even though Harry was one of my best friends, it felt like a new relationship with him. Everything felt so different... it wasn't like much had changed. I mean it wasn't like Harry and I were together or anything but it just felt like our whole relationship had changed.

Then I started thinking about Ben. What would I do if he tried something with me? I didn't want to hurt Ben or anything. I was starting to regret that kiss the other night. I knew that it would make our Element lessons duties much more complicated. I just hoped that that kiss had just been an error in judgement for both of us and that we could just move on.

I was debating about what to do if something was to happen with Ben when I heard the portrait open. My eyes blinked open. Harry was climbing through the portrait hole. He looked pretty haggard... he had dark circles under his eyes and his hair was sticking up in every direction. It probably looked like he was still feeling ill but I knew it was because he only got about four hours of sleep the previous night. We had been up basically the entire night talking and joking.

Hermione was the first one out of her seat. She bounced over to Harry and gave him a gentle hug.

"Harry! How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I've been worse," Harry claimed with a smirk.

"Glad you're better, mate," Ron said, as he slapped Harry on the back.

"Thanks," he replied. Ben was standing awkwardly to the right.

"Listen, Harry. I am really sorry about what happened yesterday. I lost control and didn't mean to hurt you," Ben said.

"No worries, mate," Harry replied, holding out his hand. Ben took it gratefully and shook it. Then, Harry turned to me. He gave me a small smile, and I put my arms around him. He reciprocated the hug. I reluctantly pulled away after a few seconds.

"Glad you're feeling better," I said quietly. He just smiled back.

"So I see you and Harry are friends again," Hermione smirked. This was the first opportunity she had gotten to question me. After Harry had gotten back from the Hospital Wing all of us had sat in the common room and just talked. Ben and I told the others about our meeting with Dumbledore earlier that morning. They were just as excited as we were and we spent the rest of the afternoon talking about it. After a while, I realized how tired I was so I decided to go to my room and take a nap before doing some homework. Hermione had followed me upstairs to question me about my reconciliation with Harry.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," I said as lay in bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Avery, what are you not telling me?" Hermione demanded.

"Nothing, Hermione. Nothing..." I replied. Hermione just stared at me, not convinced.

"Oh fine, we're friends. I borrowed the Invisibility Cloak, and I went to check on him last night. We talked and stuff and we made up," I admitted.

"Uh huh, so then why did I see you sneaking in this morning?" She said with a smirk. _Crap. _

"We talked for a while and then I fell asleep there. I woke up and didn't want to be caught by Madam Pomfrey so I came back here," I confessed.

"So did you tell him anything? About the thing with Ben?" She questioned. I knew I couldn't lie to Hermione. She was my best girl friend after all.

"We talked about it. He told me about his fight with Ben. He told me that he was jealous of Ben," I told her.

"That's big. What did you tell him?" She asked. I hesitated.

"I told him that the kiss with Ben didn't mean anything," I told her.

"And?" She said.

"And nothing. We just talked... and fell asleep and then I came back," I maintained.

"So you're not together then?" Hermione said with disappointment colouring her voice.

"No, Hermione! We are not together! And I doubt anything is going to happen!" I cried, but I laughed.

"Well, I bet that's not going to last for very long!" Hermione said with a laugh. I just rolled my eyes in response. We gossiped for a bit longer. It was mostly about Harry. I decided to steer the conversation in a different direction, though.

"So, what about you and Ron, Hermione? How's that going?" I said, jokingly wiggling my eyebrows.

"Nothing! I swear I've been dropping hints, but that boy's skull is so thick!" She cried. I laughed loudly.

"Hermione! Just tell him you like him! Clearly he's not taking the hint!" I suggested.

"Well, I'm not going to do that! What if he thinks it's weird?" She cried.

"Hermione! Get your act together! He likes you! He's too shy to do anything about it! If you like him, then you're going to have to make the first move," I encouraged.

"I don't know, Ava..." Hermione sighed.

"Hermione. You've got two options here. Either do something about it, or don't. But if you don't, nothing will ever happen. Ron is just too shy." She shrugged, but I knew that I had managed to convince her. I realized how tired I was now. I could feel my eyes drooping, and I tried to stifle a yawn. Hermione noticed this.

"I'm gonna go back down to the common room to do some homework! I'll see you later," she excused herself. I let my eyes shut, which burned a little bit from the tiredness. Within a few minutes, I was passed out.

"Wake up!" I heard a frantic voice beside me. I opened my eyes, which were still blurry with sleep. I looked around and the room was black. I could see a figure beside me. It took my eyes a moment to adjust. I could now discern that it was Hermione. She was in her pyjamas, and clearly looked a little bit dishevelled.

"What's going on?" I asked, tiredly.

"Death eaters!" She hissed. I shot up in bed, suddenly alert. I got out of bed immediately, and grabbed my wand. I slipped on some shoes and hurried out of the dorm with Hermione behind me.

The common room was a scene of chaos. When I got downstairs, there were more people than I expected. It looked as though the entire Gryffindor house was crowded into the common room. I spotted Harry, Ron and Ben standing together by the portrait hole. I hurried over to them.

"What's the plan?" I asked urgently. I knew for a fact that Harry wasn't going to just stand by while this happened, and I knew that Ben and I could probably help.

"We're going to help! Now!" Harry said confidently. Hermione and Ron were nodding beside him. Ben looked a little bit green, but otherwise ready for a fight.

"We can't risk being seen by anyone though," Hermione reminded us. She was right, of course. If other students saw us leaving the common room, there was a good chance they would follow... and possibly get caught in the fight. I looked around at the people standing around us. They were all talking worriedly to their friends. I doubted they would notice if we left.

"They won't realize. Let's go!" Harry said, taking charge. He pulled on the portrait. He cautiously glanced around to make sure that nobody was looking before hurrying through. We all followed suit.

The the dark corridors we went. I had so many questions but I was too scared to speak in case there was a Death Eater lurking around the corners. Harry was leading us toward the Entrance Hall. The large front doors of Hogwarts were wide open. Through them I could already see jets of coloured light flying from people's wands. There was a large crowd in the front grounds. As we got closer, I was able to see Tonks, who was duelling with a large, blond man. Close beside her was Kingsley, who was fighting with two mousey looking Death Eaters.

All around us were order members, fighting against Voldemort followers. I glanced around, before we were amid the fighting. I couldn't see Voldemort anywhere... though that didn't surprise me. I mean I hadn't really expected him to be hanging out in the Entrance Hall. Harry seemed to be looking around for the same thing, but I also noticed that he wasn't holding his scar in agony, which indicated that Voldemort was not around. At least that was a comfort...

The battle was blazing on before us, and I felt myself picking up speed. Without thinking, I started to run toward the fight ahead. The others followed my lead and sprinted behind me.

"_Protego," _I screamed, as I saw a bright jet of yellow light flying toward Neville Longbottom, who apparently had the same idea as us and had snuck out of the common room to come and help. He glanced around at me and gave me a momentary look of appreciation before fighting back. I was quite impressed by his ability. He was managing to duel against a particularly nasty looking Death Eater.

Just then, a blast of red light came hurdling toward me. I managed to dodge it, and glanced around for the attacker. Luicius Malfoy was smirking, evilly. I was up faster than he expected.

"_Expelliarmus," _I bellowed. His wand flew out of his hand, and he stared shocked. I saw that his wand had landed close to my feet.

"_Expulso," _I muttered, causing the want to explode. Malfoy ran to the little fire, and I smirked at him before running away to find someone that needed help. I heard a loud bang from my left. I saw a jet of white light shoot from the end of a Death Eater's wand, aimed toward Hermione, who was standing by my oak tree. She managed to dodge it, and the light hit my tree, which was struck with such force that the roots were lifted from the ground and it fell over. Anger coursed through my veins.

_Oh, it's on now, _I though, as I felt the magic tingling in my fingertips.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

I could feel the magic building up inside me and I knew it was my chance to show these Death Eaters exactly what I can do. I spotted Ben from the corner of my eye. He seemed to be scanning the grounds for someone, probably me. I sprinted over to where he was standing.

"Ben, we've got to do something," I cried. There was a hysterical tone in my voice, and I think it made Ben realize how right I was.

"I know. What do you want to do?" He demanded.

"We have to try and get everyone back into the castle! We need to get them inside safely. I don't know if either of us will be able to control ourselves, and I don't want to hurt any of them," I told him. We glanced around the grounds at our friends, and I felt a rush of adrenaline. I knew when it came down to it, I would be able to control myself because I couldn't bare the thought of hurting any of them. As I glanced around the grounds, an idea came to me.

"Ben! I have an idea. I don't know how we'll manage to do it though. We need to force the Death Eaters to the far side of the grounds. Once we've done that we can create a barrier of fire between the Death Eaters and the school. Then they won't be able to get through," I suggested. He seemed to be carefully thinking about it.

"It's worth a try. I can't think of any other ideas. How are we going to get them to the far side?" He asked. I considered his question. I couldn't think of a way to do this. I considered every aspect of my powers, or at least the ones that I knew about. None of them would force the Death Eaters from my friends.

I glanced around the grounds, trying to figure out a way to save my friends. I noticed a girl running from the castle doors. She looked older than a teenager (probably mid-twenties), so I doubted that she was a student that was trying to sneak out to help fight. She had long black hair that was trailing down her back. She wore an flowing white dress, which was frankly very impractical for battle. I had never seen her before... and I figured she was a Death Eater. She had been coming out of the castle. I tore after her. She noticed me running and drew her wand.

"_Expelliarmus,_" I screamed. She blocked my spell easily. We stood in front of the other with our wands drawn, carefully sizing up the other.

"Ava...?" She whispered. How did she know my name?

"Who are you?" I demanded, not lowering my wand.

"My name is Athena. I am air," she stated. As she spoke, she pulled her long sheet of hair back, revealing her necklace, which was a clear glassy orb. Relief flooded through me. I put my wand down.

"You're here!" I exclaimed. She stepped over to me and locked me in a tight embrace. After a moment, she pulled away.

"I have waited years to meet you. It is a shame to do so under such unfortunate circumstances," she said.

"What are we going to do about this?" I asked her. She stood back and surveyed the scene. "I was thinking that if we could manage to get the Death Eaters to the far side of the grounds, Ben would be able to put a barrier of fire between us. I can't figure out how to get then over there," I filled her in. She nodded.

"Leave that to me. You and Ben must prepare to trap the Death Eaters as soon as I'm done," she instructed.

"What are you going to do?" I called, as she began running toward the heart of the battle. She didn't respond. I took this opportunity to hurry back to Ben. I explained what had happened just now and what the new plan was. Just as I was explaining to him, I saw a woman Death Eater strike Ginny with a curse. She fell to the ground and I could see blood rushing from her nose. She was badly injured. Suddenly, I felt anger that was unlike any other I had felt before. Ginny was just a kid! She was barely thirteen! I could feel the magic in my fingers threatening to so some serious damage. There was rumble of thunder in the distance. I felt the ground beneath me quiver slightly. I felt a hand on my arm, which calmed me down. Ben was standing beside me, and had probably seen my sudden burst of anger. I silently thanked him and breathed calming breaths.

I could see Athena running toward the middle of the grounds. The wind had picked up significantly. Leaves and twigs were blowing violently. I could see some of the fights stop mid-spell, as everyone began to look around worriedly. Athena was now walking into the centre of the field. Her flowing dress was whipping around her tiny frame. I could see that her eyes had rolled back into her head. She looked increasingly terrifying. The Death Eaters were noticing this too. They started to back away from the walking girl. The wind picked up even more. It was now howling loudly. I could see that some of the Order members had begun to slowly retreat to the castle.

_Good, at least they'll be safe, _I though, but quickly turned my attention back toward Athena. The wind was fiercer than ever now. The Death Eaters had begun to back away, each with their wands drawn. I could now see what her plan had been. She knew that the Order members would be able to retreat to the castle, so she was giving them an opportunity too get away from the Death Eaters.

One of the Death Eaters sent a curse flying at her. She didn't have her wand out and I braced myself for her to be hit by the jet of blue light. Before it could touch her, however, a gust of wind blew over the jet and it disappeared. I wasn't sure if I had seen it right. It happened so quickly that I could have missed it in a blink of an eye. I glanced at Ben who was wearing an awestruck expression similar to mine.

The Death Eaters seemed to be just as surprised as we were. They started firing more jinxes and curses at Athena. None of them reached her. They all blew away, like dust. She continued to walk toward the frightened Death Eaters. The wind was still extremely strong, but it was changing. It was starting to circle around Athena. It was like she was in the centre of a tornado. She was continuing to walk toward them, though now she was surrounded by a fort of wind. Some of the Death Eaters were stumbling to the ground from the force of the wind. She stopped abruptly in front of the crowd.

"Ben, you have to create a barrier of fire, now!" I told him. He nodded and began to focus, just as we had during our practice sessions with Dumbledore. His concentration was so strong that I saw the tips of fingers start to smoke. I could hear his shallow breathing and suddenly, the ground started to smoke as well. Flames erupted from the grass, encircling the Death Eaters in a ring of fire.

They started to frantically look for an escape route. None of them could find a way... but then they disappeared. One by one, the Death Eaters vanished from the spot with a soft popping sound. The few people left in the grounds started yelling. I saw Harry take off toward the ring of fire. By the time he approached, only Lucius Malfoy was still inside the circle. He smirked and waved at Harry before apparating away.

_How did they manage to get around the anti-apparating enchantment that was put on the grounds? _I wondered. Ben waved his hand casually and the fire disappeared. The wind had subsided to a soft breeze. Athena was slowly walking toward where we were standing.

"I thought nobody could apparate?" She asked, wondering the same thing as me.

"I thought so too. I'm not sure what's going on," I told her. I wanted to talk to Dumbledore right now. He was nowhere to be seen. I found that strange because usually he was the first person to defend Hogwarts.

"I'm going to go to Dumbledore's office. I think you two should come with me," I said to Ben and Athena. They agreed and we started toward Dumbledore's office.

"Wait!" I heard from behind me. Harry was jogging over to us. "I'm coming with you to Dumbledore's office." I nodded and we continued. We silently travelled through the empty corridors. We approached the gargoyle statue. Athena muttered a password, indicating that she had probably come from Dumbledore's office to the grounds earlier today. We marched up the spiral staircase and approached his office door, which was slightly ajar.

I quickened my pace and barged through the door. Dumbledore's back was turned to us and he was looking out the window.

"Professor? Are you alright?" I asked timidly. He turned to see us and gave us a weary smile.

"I am fine. I am truly sorry I was not able to assist you in the grounds tonight. I was otherwise occupied. Voldemort decided to pay me a visit," he explained. I gasped.

"Professor, how did they manage to apparate?" I asked, knowing that Dumbledore would understand my question.

"It was I who allowed it. I could see the battle from my window, and I saw that you had managed to trap them. I had lifted the enchantment earlier before you succeeded to apprehend them. I wasn't able to turn it back on, before they realized that they were able to apparate again. Once they were trapped, I suppose they realized that they were able to apparate and got away. Forgive me. I wasn't sure if you all would be able to control your powers, and I wanted to have a means of escape for the Order members. I am extremely impressed at you all though. You were able to use your powers effectively," he said.

"What did Voldemort want, sir?" Harry asked.

"The same thing he has wanted for years. He wanted to get rid of me. He used his Death Eaters to distract the Order members that were on duty on the grounds so that he could try to overpower me alone," Dumbledore explained.

"Wow, what a mess," I sighed.

"Oh, how rude of me. I should introduce you all, though I am sure you have already met. Avery, Ben, this is Athena. She is the Air Element. She arrived earlier this evening, and joined you just after leaving my office," he told us.

"Yes, we've met already," Athena informed him. "Avery was about to attack me, but luckily I saw her necklace before that happened."

"Yeah, sorry about that. Assumed you were a Death Eater and all," I said sheepishly.

"No worries. I would have done the same thing," she said with a laugh.

"Alright. I expect that you all would like to get acquainted. I myself have some business to attend to," Dumbledore said. We took the hint and said goodnight.

"Wait," Ben said. "How is this going to work? I mean is Athena going to be another Gryffindor transfer student?"

"Ah yes, I was thinking about that. It may look suspicious if we have another transfer student. Also, Athena is a little bit too old to pass for a high school student I think. Therefore she will be posing as Professor McGonagall's assistant. She will have her own quarters with the other teachers. In order to maintain the cover, I would ask that you refer to her as Ms. Caras. If you would like to get to know each other now, it may be best to speak in Athena's room, rather than the Gryffindor common room," he suggested. We nodded in agreement and said goodnight. Once we were out of the office, Athena spoke.

"You both are welcome to come and talk for a little while. I would really like to get to know you all," she said. I was eager to meet her but I realized that I was more anxious to find out how Hermione and Ginny and Ron were. I had barely seen them throughout the fight.

"If it's alright with you, I would like to take a rain check. I'm worried about my friends and I really want to go and make sure that they're all ok," I said. She looked a little but disappointed, but she also nodded in agreement.

"I understand completely. Maybe tomorrow after classes we can have a chat and get to know one another," Athena said. We nodded in agreement.

"Tomorrow then," I said, and Ben, Harry and I walked off in the opposite direction in the direction of the common room.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

After the scare with the Death Eaters from the previous night, the following days' classes were cancelled. Most of the students didn't actually know what happened. They just knew that something bad had happened last night. Those of us that did know what had happened were still a little bit shaken up. Luckily though, none of our side were too badly hurt. Lupin had received a pretty decent blow to the head from being thrown back by a spell. He was staying in St. Mungo's for a couple of days until he was fully healed. Other than that everyone was pretty much alright.

After talking to Dumbledore last night, Harry, Ben and I rushed back to the common room to make sure that everyone was alright. The common room was pretty much empty now. I assumed that the Professor McGonagall had come up here and sent everyone to bed. The only people that were in there now were Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, Ginny and Neville. Hermione was busy patching up some minor scrapes and bruises. George had a bandage over his left eyebrow, while Neville was gingerly dabbing at a cut on his forearm with a damp cloth. Fred seemed to have gotten it the worst, and Hermione and Ginny were fixing what looked like a badly broken nose.

"Guys! I'm so glad you're alright!" I exclaimed as I entered in through the portrait hole. Hermione left Fred's side for a moment to come and hug me.

"I was worried about guy all when I couldn't find you. I assumed you had gone to see Dumbledore, but I was still scared," Hermione said through the hug. She broke away and gave Harry and Ben hugs as well, but then went back over to Fred to finish setting his broken nose.

"Hermione, why don't you just take everyone to see Madam Pomfrey?" I asked.

"Oh, a bunch of the Order members are getting fixed up before heading back home. I figured it would just be quicker if I did it myself. I read how to do some emergency healing in a book," she said as she began to heal some gashes on her hands. I just rolled my eyes. At least something that she had read in a book had finally come to some use!

"Well, I think we're going to hit the sack! See you all later," said George, as him and Fred headed up the stairs.

"Yeah, I think I'm going to head upstairs as well. It's been a long day," Ginny said. Neville followed suit shortly after, nodding to each of us on his way upstairs. As soon as Neville was out of earshot, Ron asked the question that they had both been wondering for some time now.

"Was that the new Element? That Dumbledore went to find?" Ron whispered excitedly.

"It was. Her name is Athena Caras. I don't know much about her yet, because I wanted to make sure you lot were all ok. We're going to talk more tomorrow and get to know each other a little bit better," I explained.

"She's incredibly talented. I wonder what else she'll be able to do," Hermione said.

"I know! I can't wait for our next lesson with Dumbledore!" Ben exclaimed.

"Wait, so is she going to be a 'transfer student' as well?" Hermione asked us.

"No, she's going to be posing as McGonagall's assistant. She wouldn't be able to pass off as a student anyway," Ben told them. They nodded in response.

"Guys, I'm very glad you're all ok, but I think I need to go to sleep. I'm feeling really drained," I said. I said quick goodnights to everyone and went up the stairs. I changed into pyjamas and lay down. My bed was so comfortable that I was dead asleep in minutes.

There was a note on the bulletin board the next morning saying that classes had been cancelled. Though I welcomed the break, I realized that with all the craziness of the past couple of weeks, I was way behind on homework. I had an essay for History of Magic due tomorrow that I had barely started and a report about Venus due the next day for Astronomy. Needless to say, I was feeling a little bit stressed. I decided to spend my unexpected day off in the library. I got up early and after seeing the note, I packed up my bag full of parchment and research.

"I'm going to go to the library! I'll see you guys later," I told Hermione, Ron and Harry, who were all sitting in the usual spot in the common room.

"Wait! I'll come with you!" I turned around surprised, because it was Harry's voice, not Hermione's, that I heard from behind me. He jumped by and jogged up the stairs to the boys' dormitories. He returned a minute later with a bag.

"Alright then..." I said, still a little bit confused. We left the common room and headed to the library. It was filled with other procrastinating fifth years. I almost laughed when I saw the frantic look on Draco Malfoy's face, as I walked by him. Harry and I choose a quiet corner of the library to sit down. There was a squishy couch that we sat down on. I folded my legs on my seat and pulled out a textbook that I had to read.

It was pretty boring and I was struggling through the tiny text. It was so difficult to concentrate on the Banshee Brigades of 1218. I kept powering through the boring text. I felt a hand on my knee. I looked over and saw that Harry was resting his hand on my leg. He was casually scanning the notes in his hand, not looking at me at all. His hand sent tingles through my knee. I suppressed a little smile and continued reading the passage in front of me, though now it was a lot more difficult than before. Harry was tracing patterns on my knee with his thumb. I gave up on the passage I was reading and put my textbook on the table. I rested my head on the back of my chair and closed my eyes. I figured it was about time to take a break. I mean I had read three whole paragraphs!

I opened my eye slightly and looked at Harry. He had given up any pretence of work and had put down his book as well. He was staring down at the hand that was resting on my leg. I opened my eyes and shifted over slightly, so that I was sitting right next to Harry and placed my hand over his. I locked my fingers with his. He continued to look down at our joined hands and smiled slightly.

_Damn it! He's so cute! _I heard myself cry in my head. I glanced around the section of the library where we were sitting. There weren't too many people around. I could see a Ravenclaw girl sitting a few tables away from us, but her back was turned, and she was furiously scratching away on a long scroll of parchment. I then did something that was absolutely uncharacteristic. Making sure that Madam Pomfrey was safely at her desk, I sucked in a deep breath before leaning over and allowing my lips to meet Harry's. He seemed surprised at first. He definitely hadn't been expecting that. After the initial moment of shock he happily returned the kiss. This kiss was so different than the nervous, gentle kiss that we had shared at Hogsmeade.

Last time we had both been nervous about what we were doing, especially because neither of us knew how the other felt. This time, we were both aware of how the other felt. I didn't feel as scared and vulnerable as last time. I felt myself deepening the kiss and Harry happily reciprocated. I could feel his fingers stroking my back and I raised my hand to caress his cheek.

"Excuse me," I heard. We broke apart startled. Madam Pince was standing over us, clearly not impressed. "You're going to have to leave if you keep this up."

"Sorry!" We said sheepishly. I shifted over so I wasn't as close to Harry anymore and picked up some parchment to start my essay. She gave us a suspicious look, before going back to her desk. I could feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment. I glanced over at Harry, who was smirking like an idiot.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. After a few hours of hard work I had managed to finish off my essay. I spend a couple more hours working on the report for astronomy. I finally shut my book loudly and put it on the table in front of me. I had a slight headache from staring at books all day and my body felt really stiff. Harry had given up working about an hour ago. He had pulled out a book about quidditch and was reading through it fascinated. He noticed that I had finished working and put away his book.

"Ready to go?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, let's get out of here! I can't sit here for another minute!" I said, standing up and stretching before gathering up all my junk and walking out with Harry. I started down the left hallway towards the Gryffindor tower, but Harry grabbed my wrist.

"I want to show you something," he said, pulling me in the opposite direction. He lead me to a set of stairs and we walked to the seventh floor. We walked down an empty corridor. Harry led me to a stretch of hallway with a blank wall.

"Stand here," he said. I didn't move from my spot. Harry began pacing in front of the blank wall. I was about to ask him what he was doing, but suddenly a door appeared.

"How'd you do that?" I asked, startled.

"It's called the Room of Requirement. You walk in front of this wall and concentrate on the type of room you want and it will appear. There is anything that you can imagine," he explained. He reached over and pulled open the narrow wooden door.

Inside was...

**You'll find out next time! :)**


	19. Chapter 19

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

Inside was... a tiny, somewhat dark room. The only illumination was coming from a roaring fire. In front of the fire was a small circular table, with two chairs. There was a candle in the centre, surrounded with plates, and cutlery.

"Harry? What's going on?" I asked in a whisper. He took my hand and lead me toward the table. Harry pulled out one of the chairs for me, so I sat down. I still didn't know what was going on, so I just stared at him, waiting for an explanation. He sat down across from me.

"I wanted to do something special for you. I mean we've never really gone on a 'date' or anything like that," he said. I could tell that he was nervous from the way his voice shook slightly.

"So when did you set all this up?" I asked.

"You know when I said I had to go see McGonagall for a minute? Well, I actually ran over to the kitchen to pick some stuff up. Dobby had it waiting for me. I dropped it off here and came back to the library. I just thought that you deserved a break... I mean after everything that's happened this semester," he told me.

"Harry, that's so sweet of you. Thank you," I said, and I reached over the table and took his hand. He held my hand for a minute, before pulling away and getting up. He pulled out a picnic basket and began to unpack the contents for lunch. He had managed to get all my favourites. We ate slowly, because neither of us needed to get back to the common room.

"So, Ava. I wanted to talk to you about something. I mean, you know how I feel about you, and I think I know how you feel about me," he started. "I want you to be my girlfriend." I was taken off guard. I had also just taken a big bite of my salad, so I had to chew quickly. Oops...

"Oh. Wow. I don't know what to say," I replied, once I had finished chewing. "Harry, obviously I like you. I want to be your girlfriend more than anything!" I told him, with a small smile.

"I'm glad you said that. I was really nervous to ask you," he admitted. I laughed, because he seemed pretty scared.

"Harry, you never have to be nervous about telling me anything," I told him, picking up his hand again. "Listen. I don't think we should tell anyone just yet," I said. I was worried that he would take it the wrong way, but he just responded with a smile.

"That's probably for the best. There's just so much bad stuff going on right now. We can wait to tell everyone," he said. I felt my heart lift with joy.

"Thanks, Harry," I said. I got out of my chair and walked over to his side of the table. He pushed out his chair a little bit and I sat down on his lap. I placed a gentle kiss on his lips. It still gave me the same kind chill as before. I pulled away and just looked at him. I couldn't explain the feeling that I had right now. I was happier than I'd been in a long time. I leaned over to kiss him again, but as my lips met his, I realized something.

"Damn! I just remembered that I was supposed to go see Athena with Ben. I think we should head back," I told him. He looked disappointed.

"Alright. You go ahead. I'll clean up here and come back to the common room. If anyone asks, just say that we were in the library the entire day," Harry said. I nodded, and gave him a quick peck before grabbing my bag and brisk walking to the Gryffindor tower.

When I reached, Hermione was in the common room. She was looking over an intense looking star chart.

"Hermione, do you now where Ben is?" I asked.

"Um, I think he's in his room," she muttered, without looking up at me. I walked up the boys' staircase and knocked at the dormitory.

"What?" I heard. I pushed open the door and saw Ben lying in bed reading his transfiguration textbook.

"Oh, Ava, what's up?" He asked, though he didn't seem too pleased to see me.

"Um, do you want to go see Athena now?" I asked him. I saw him roll his eyes slightly, but he threw down his book and got out of bed. He slipped on some shoes and we left the dorm.

_Why is he being so weird? _I thought. I couldn't think of anything I had done to make Ben mad, but I decided to push that into the back of my head. We walked out of the common room and towards the teachers' quarters. There was a door that had a plaque that said Ms. Athena Caras. I tapped loudly at the door. After a few moments the door flew open.

"Avery! Ben! Nice to see you both!" Athena said, and stood aside to allow us to enter. Her suite was really cute. It had a tiny living room, with a couch and an armchair. She had a few paintings on the walls, and some candles lit. There were two doors that I assumed lead to her bedroom and the bathroom.

She sat down on the armchair and we sat across from her. This was the first opportunity I had gotten to really look at her. She was really pretty, with long, wavy black hair. She had olive toned skin and a slender frame. She was wearing the same type of flowing dress that she had been wearing the day before, except this one was pastel pink.

"So, Athena. Tell us about yourself," said Ben.

"Where do I begin? Well, as you know my name is Athena Caras. I come from Greece," she told us.

"That's pretty cool. What do you do in Greece?" I asked.

"I am an Auror in training. I have a mentor who has been guiding me. I am taking the examination in a few months, and then I will be able to get a job at the ministry," she explained. "My abilities to control the air have really helped me to become a great Auror."

"Did you know what you were? I mean did you know about the other three of us?" I asked.

"No, I did not. I took me a few years to really develop my powers. I was shocked when Dumbledore contacted me. I had never heard of Elements before. When Dumbledore contacted me, I was not sure what to think. Of course I've heard of Albus Dumbledore before, so I trusted that he was not lying to me. He explained to me about you both, and our powers. This is the first time that I have truly understood what I am capable off. Last night... it was the first time I was able to really use my powers. It was amazing," she sighed.

"Wait, that was the first time you'd used your powers?" I asked, surprised.

"Well, to that scale. I have used my powers before many times, but I've never been able to do what I did yesterday. I really surprised myself," she told us.

"Your control is amazing. I would never have been able to control my powers like that, especially after the first time I'd used them," Ben said in amazement.

"I think that I was able to control myself because I knew what was at stake if I lost control. I knew that if I let my powers take over I would probably hurt someone that did not deserve it," Athena said thoughtfully.

"I hope I can do that too. I'm always scared that I'm going to lose my cool," I admitted.

"It's different when you don't have any time to think about it though, isn't it? All you can focus on is the bad guy in front of you?" Ben spoke up.

"You are correct. I am sure that neither of you would want to hurt an innocent person, so I doubt that you would be able to do so. I do not think you would hurt an innocent person unless you wanted to," she said.

"I have hurt an innocent person though," Ben whispered. He was referring to what happened with Harry.

"Well, I stand corrected I suppose," she said, though she didn't seem convinced. I decided to change the subject.

"So, Athena, what do you think about Hogwarts so far? I mean apart from the Death Eater battles and all?" I asked.

"It is a very beautiful place. I got a chance to wander around the castle today, and get to see some of it. And I got to meet some of the Professors. Tell me, what is wrong with that Snape man?" Athena asked. I burst out laughing.

"No idea! He's always like that. Don't take it personally or anything. We've been getting that for years," I explained. She nodded, looking a little bit relieved. After that the conversation was normal again, though Ben didn't really talk much. He was still being a little bit cold to me like he had been earlier this evening. I just ignored him and chatted about Athena's work with McGonagall and the classes she was preparing for. Before I knew it, it was nightfall.

"It's been great talking to you, but I think we'd better get back before curfew. I for one do not want to get detention with Umbridge," I said. We all said our goodnights, and Ben and I left. He didn't really talk on our way back to the Gryffindor tower.

"Where were you this afternoon?" Ben said suddenly.

"In the library... finishing my essay for History of Magic," I said, confused.

"Really? Because I came to the library looking for you and I couldn't find you," he told me.

_Crap! CRAP! _I thought.

"I was definitely there. I can show you my paper as proof if you'd like," I said.

"Whatever," he replied. We had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. He quickly muttered the password and strode through, straight up the boys' staircase.

"What's wrong with him?" Harry asked as I sat beside him on the couch.

"Apparently he came to the library earlier today looking for me and he couldn't find me. I told him I was there the entire time. I don't think he believes me," I explained.

"Oh, well just ignore him. It's none of his business anyway," Harry replied.

"You're right," I said with a sigh. I glanced around the room. Everyone must have been at dinner, because the room was pretty much deserted. I leaned over and gave him a kiss on the lips. He returned the kiss eagerly. I pulled away after a couple of seconds though, because I was scared that someone may walk in on us.

Little did I know that someone had seen. Someone that was standing there, watching the entire scene unfold. Someone that was seething at the sight of my kiss with Harry.

**Thanks for reading! :) **


	20. Chapter 20

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

Ben POV

I had gotten up later than I expected. Thankfully classes had been cancelled after the fight with the Death Eaters last night. I took my time taking a shower and getting dressed that morning. After I had finished getting ready for the day I went downstairs to the common room. Hermione and Ron were there. Hermione had already started studying. She had bits of parchment and books scattered over a big, round table. Needless to say, she was looking a little bit stressed. Ron, on the other hand, was the opposite of Hermione. He was fully clad in his school robes, and was snoring loudly from one of the couches. It took some effort not to laugh at him, but I managed to contain myself.

"Hermione, where is Ava?" I asked. I wanted to find out when she wanted to go and talk to Athena.

"Oh, she went to the library with Harry. I'm not sure when she's going to be back," Hermione said, distractedly.

"Oh, alright then," I said. I decided that I should go downstairs to the Great Hall, in the hopes that they were still serving lunch. Luckily they still were so I served my plate full of delicious food. The Great Hall was actually full of students taking advantage of the break.

After finishing lunch, I decided to take a stroll around campus. I didn't really want to go back to Gryffindor tower and work on my Charms assignment, so I decided to ignore it for a while. I walked around the third floor happily. I stopped to chat with Hagrid for a few minutes when I met him coming out of the Transfiguration room. He began telling me about the new set of Blast-Ended Skrewts that he had gotten. I listened politely, though I had heard plenty of stories about those creatures, so I quickly declined when Hagrid asked if I'd like to come and take a look at them. I said a quick goodbye and continued on my walk.

I was approaching the library, so I decided to stop in and say hi to Avery. I looked around for her, but I couldn't find her anywhere. I assumed that she had decided to go back to Gryffindor tower while I had been in the Great Hall. I continued my walk.

I got to the seventh floor, and wandered around. Just then, I saw Ava and Harry walking down the hallway. I was going to go up behind them and scare them, but just then, they stopped in front of a blank patch of wall. Harry began pacing in front of the section of wall, and after a few moments, a door appeared out of nowhere. He opened the door and ushered Ava in. Before entering the room himself, he glanced around to make sure that nobody saw.

I could feel jealously burning through me. I angrily stormed away from the seventh floor, walking right past little Professor Flitwick. I was angrier than I had been in a long time. She had been leading me on the whole time! She had just kissed me a few days ago, but here she was, going into mysterious rooms with Harry. I hadn't expected anything from her. I mean I didn't think we were exclusive or anything, but I didn't think she would go behind my back his way.

And to go to Potter? That little child? I couldn't believe what I had just seen. I went back to the common room, still furiously muttering to myself. As I stormed in, I saw Hermione glance up at me, but I paid her no attention. I simply stalked upstairs and slammed the door. I lay back in my bed, and stared up at the ceiling.

_I thought she liked me, but she was obviously just playing me, _I thought angrily. I lay there in silence for a few more minutes. Finally, I picked up a book and began reading. I wasn't really able to focus on the text, but I tried my best. I stayed in that position for the better part of the day. I was too angry to go back downstairs and sit with Hermione and Ron, and I obviously wasn't going to go to the library to study, so I stretched out on my bed and read through my textbooks.

Currently I was reading my transfiguration textbook. It was something about the human transfiguration, though I had already learned about that back in the States. There was a small knock at the door to my room. I was still in a grumpy mood.

"What?" I responded. The door opened, revealing Ava.

"Oh, Ava, what's up?" I asked, trying my best to keep the tone of my voice even. She gave me a funny look, but decided to tell me what she wanted.

"Um, do you want to go and see Athena now?" she said cheerfully.

_Oh, nowwww you want to go see Athena? When it's convenient for you? _I thought bitterly. I rolled my eyes when I thought she wasn't looking, but threw my book on my bed and got up. She wait patiently as I put on shoes, and then we left. We didn't talk while we walked to Athena's room. I ignored Ava, and she didn't say anything about it.

Eventually we got to a long hallway with individual doors. We approached a door that had a plaque that read Ms. Athena Caras. Ava knocked loudly on the door. After a moment the door swung open. Athena was standing in the doorway, looking thrilled to see us.

""Avery! Ben! Nice to see you both!" Athena said, and she stepped aside to allow us to enter her suite. Her little apartment was pretty bare, except for a couple of paintings and candles. She had a couch and armchair. Athena sat across from us on the armchair.

We sat in a bit of an awkward silence for a few seconds. Avery wasn't saying anything, but she was staring at Athena with a thoughtful expression.

"So, Athena. Tell us about yourself," I said in an attempt to break the silence.

"Where do I begin? Well, as you know my name is Athena Caras. I come from Greece," she explained. I nodded mildly.

"That's pretty cool. What do you do in Greece?" Avery said, finally breaking out of her thoughtful daze.

"I am an Auror in training. I have a mentor who has been guiding me. I am taking the examination in a few months, and then I will be able to get a job at the ministry," she told us. "My abilities to control the air have really helped me to become a great Auror." Wow, so she didn't really know what she was doing?

"Did you know what you were? I mean did you know about the other three of us?" Avery questioned.

"No, I did not. I took me a few years to really develop my powers. I was shocked when Dumbledore contacted me. I had never heard of Elements before. When Dumbledore contacted me, I was not sure what to think. Of course I've heard of Albus Dumbledore before, so I trusted that he was not lying to me. He explained to me about you both, and our powers. This is the first time that I have truly understood what I am capable off. Last night... it was the first time I was able to really use my powers. It was amazing," she sighed.

"Wait, that was the first time you'd used your powers?" Ava asked in shock. I was surprised by her confession as well. I had assumed that since she was a little older that she would have an advanced understanding of her powers, but clearly she was just as lost as we had been.

"Well, to that scale. I have used my powers before many times, but I've never been able to do what I did yesterday. I really surprised myself," she said.

"Your control is amazing. I would never have been able to control my powers like that, especially after the first time I'd used them," I finally spoke up. Despite my crappy mood, I couldn't deny that I was extremely impressed by this girl.

"I think that I was able to control myself because I knew what was at stake if I lost control. I knew that if I let my powers take over I would probably hurt someone that did not deserve it," Athena said, with a distant look on her face.

"I hope I can do that too. I'm always scared that I'm going to lose my cool," Ava said, in a small voice beside me.

"It's different when you don't have any time to think about it though, isn't it? All you can focus on is the bad guy in front of you?" I piped in.

"You are correct. I am sure that neither of you would want to hurt an innocent person, so I doubt that you would be able to do so. I do not think you would hurt an innocent person unless you wanted to," she said. I felt my heart drop slightly... had I not done just the thing that Athena had said a few weeks ago. Hadn't I badly injured Harry?

"I have hurt an innocent person though," I confessed.

"Well, I stand corrected I suppose," she said, giving me a searching look. Thankfully, Ava changed the subject before things got too intense.

"So, Athena, what do you think about Hogwarts so far? I mean apart from the Death Eater battles and all?" she asked. The rest of our time with Athena was much easier. Ava and Athena chatted about Hogwarts and classes. I wasn't really in the mod for this kind of idle chit-chat, so I just sat quietly on the couch and listened as they talked.

Finally it was time to go back to our dorms, because it was almost curfew. We said our goodnights, and Ava and I began the journey back to the common room. We walked in silence again for the most part. Finally, i knew that I couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Where were you this afternoon?" I asked. She seemed surprised by my question.

"In the library... finishing my essay for History of Magic," she claimed.

"Really? Because I came to the library looking for you and I couldn't find you," I said, trying to keep the anger from my voice.

"I was definitely there. I can show you my paper as proof if you'd like," she said defensively.

"Whatever," I muttered. I mumbled the password and went straight to the boys' staircase. I heard Ava talking to Harry. I peeked around the top of the stairs. She was sitting with him on the couch and they were talking about something, though I couldn't hear what they were saying.

Suddenly she leaned over and kissed him. That jealous rage that I had been feeling earlier flared up again. I watched them angrily for a moment more before it was too much for me to watch. I went up to my room and went to my bed. I pulled the curtains shut around my bed and lay down.

_You'll regret this, Potter, _I thought before drifting off...


	21. Chapter 21

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**(*) THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN UPDATED on 06/03/11. **

Avery POV

It had been a few weeks since Athena's arrival and the battle with the Death Eaters. Everything had gone back to normal. At least for the most part. I don't know what happened after that battle, but Ben had become distant and uncharacteristically sulky. He didn't really talk to me much except for small talk during dinner and during our meetings with Dumbledore. At first I assumed that he was still shaken by the battle, but after a few days I realized that something was actually wrong. I couldn't figure out what had happened. He was still perfectly friendly with Hermione and Ron, but he had become different around me. He had never really liked Harry, so I didn't think too much of his bad attitude towards Harry. In hindsight, I probably should have guessed what was wrong. Maybe then I could have changed things... but unfortunately I didn't understand what the problem was.

On a couple of occasions I tried confronting him about what was wrong, but he just told me I was being ridiculous. I tried ignoring it, but it didn't really work. I mean we were around each other all day, excluding class times. I tried talking to him again, but this time it didn't go too well.

"Ben, tell me what's wrong? Things have just been so tense between us," I pleaded one day when I got a moment alone with him. We were walking to our meeting with Dumbledore.

"Avery, would you quit it? I don't know what you're talking about!" He snapped. That hurt more than I expected. Ben had been nothing but nice to me since we had met. It was foreign to hear that tone in his usually cheerful voice.

"Listen, Ben. If I did something to offend you then tell me! I didn't mean anything, I promise!" I whispered. He sighed exasperatedly.

"Geez, Ava. Quit being so sensitive. I'm not upset. Just back the hell off," he snarled. I felt tears prick my eyes, but I blinked them away and continued walking to Dumbledore's office in silence.

These issues with Ben had caused some issues with our training sessions. Athena and Dumbledore could both tell that we weren't 'gelling' as well as we had been. Athena asked me about it one day when I went to hang out with her in her room.

"Avery, what is going on between you and Ben?" She asked cautiously. She probably was worried that she would seem nosy. I just sighed.

"Honestly, I don't know! He's just become so cold towards me... I honestly don't know what I did," I confessed. She was so easy to talk to that I it so easy to confide in her.

"Have you talked to him about it?" she asked.

"I have! He's just brushed me off every time I've asked. He said that I should 'stop being so sensitive'," I told her. She gazed out of her tiny window thoughtfully.

"Well, he's a boy... There's no way to understand then," she said with a small laugh. I let out a small, sad laugh.

"So, tell me. How's Harry doing?" She asked, with a smirk. I was caught off guard by her question. I hadn't told her anything about my relationship with Harry. She was wayyy too perceptive sometimes. I could feel my cheeks burning.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I replied, though I knew that she didn't buy it. She just continued to stare at me with an expectant look. I sighed.

"How did you know?" I asked.

"The way he looks at you. He cares about you so much," she said matter-of-factly. My blush deepened.

Things with Harry had been going amazingly well. I had such bad luck with boys that I had expected to screw everything up after a couple of days, but I was wrong. Things had been going so perfectly, apart from us having to sneak around a little bit. We still hadn't told anyone about our relationship. Instead, we had been retreating to the Room of Requirements a lot. We usually just took our homework there and studied together... or cuddled... or whatever.

Everyone was so busy worrying about their own school work that I don't think that they noticed at all. Hermione had questioned me a couple of times but I just made up something about having meetings with a Professor, or having to practice quidditch with Harry.

Try-outs had passed a couple of weeks ago. Harry returned as the house seeker obviously. After thinking about it for a while I decided to try out for chaser again. I actually managed to get a position on the team. I was a little bit rusty though since I hadn't played in while, so I wasn't lying all the time when I said Harry was helping me with quidditch.

(*) The biggest surprise of the entire day was Ron though! I didn't even know that he was going to try out! He did an amazing job though! It was between Ron and this foul boy, McLaggen. Don't get me wrong, McLaggen was really good, but he was kind of a jackass. In the end however, Ron managed to block more Quaffles, so he was given the title of keeper.

There were so many evenings, after finishing our homework, that Harry and I would go down to the grounds and practise. Ron came along a couple of times, but it was mostly just Harry and I. Harry would play the part of keeper and I would have to try to score against him. After our quidditch sessions, we would sneak down to the kitchen and get some hot chocolate, and creep up to the Room of Requirements to sit by the fire. It quickly became one of my favourite things about Hogwarts.

"Things are going... amazing," I said. She returned my smile.

"I'm glad. You guys are so good for each other. Even though I don't know you all that well I can tell that you both are meant for each other," Athena said. If possible, my cheeks turned a deeper shade of red.

"Listen, Athena, we haven't told anyone yet. Please don't mention anything to anybody," I pleaded.

"Of course not! You can trust me," she assured me. And I did trust her. In the short time that I had known Athena I had grown so comfortable with her. I felt like I had known her for years. Whenever I had some spare time I came down to her little apartment and just talked. She was so wise, considering she was only a few years older than me and she gave me great advice.

Other than that, everything was just normal School work was piling on. I was starting to feel a little bit overwhelmed with the amount of work. Especially because I was having to balance it with training and quidditch and Harry. Life was stressful... but I was happy.

This morning was just another normal day. I was in a particularly good mood because I didn't have Potions or Defence class today. That Umbridge woman was nightmare. We weren't even allowed to do magic in her class. All we did was read our boring textbook, which I had already completed.

After my classes had ended, Harry and I decided to go to the grounds to practice for a bit before I had to work on a Charms assignment. I also had a training session with Dumbledore today.

Quidditch was nice. I felt pretty relaxed after training. I managed to score fourteen goals against Harry today.

"You cheated!" he whined as we walked back to Gryffindor tower. I just laughed.

"Oh come one! You big baby! I totally beat you! Face it buddy, I won fair and square," I teased. He gave me an exaggerated sad face. "At least you're still cute," I joked. He tried to suppress a smile, but failed. He quickly glanced around the grounds to make sure nobody was watching, before leaning over and planting a delicate kiss on my lips. I returned the kiss for a moment before breaking away.

"Harry! We have to get back upstairs! I have to finish Flitwick's assignment before my meeting tonight!" I jokingly scolded. He just rolled his eyes but followed me as I started walking toward the castle.

The assignment turned out to be a lot easier than I expected so I managed to finish well before the our training session was supposed to start. I decided to relax for a few while before the meeting. I sat in the common room with Ron and Hermione, who were arguing about some house elf enslavement thing that Hermione had recently become concerned with. I didn't join in the argument. I choose to simply watch the comical scene in front of me.

I started to drift off. I was so tired from the long day that I fell asleep on the armchair I was sitting in.

_I was standing in a field. My bare feet were squishing in the cold dirt. I allowed my fingers to graze the tops of the long blades of grass. I continued to walk through the field, and I saw that I was approaching a dark forest. I continued to walk toward the forest. The wind began to pick up slightly, rustling the leaves of the trees._

_ "Ava... Ava... Ava," they were whispering. I wasn't alarmed like I had been in the past. I embraced it, and listened to their words. The wind was blowing even stronger._

_ "Save us... save us...," they were begging. Dread filled me. I wasn't sure what I needed to save my forest from. The leaves were whispering louder now._

_ "Save us... SAVE US," they cried. I started to run toward the forest now. Before I could reach a figure descended from the darkness._

_ Ben stood at the edge of the forest. He had a terrible expression on his face. His hand were alight, which just added to his deranged appearance. _

_ He closed his eyes, and suddenly the trees ignited. The wind was howling now. I screamed in agony, as I saw the trees catch fire, but my voice was lost in the wind. I could feel the fire as if it were __my own limbs that were burning. I fell to my knees, and I heard a maniacal laugh... _

"AVA! Wake up!" I heard. I jumped awake and groggily looked around the common room. Hermione and Ron were standing over me, with concern evident in their faces. I glanced around the common room. Everyone was staring at me, with expressions that showed concern, fear and even shock.

"What's going on?" I croaked.

"You were just screaming. You were sleeping and then you just started shrieking" said Ron.

_ Well, that explains it, _I thought.

"Oh, crap. Sorry for scaring you guys," I said loudly, so that the entire common room could hear. After another moment, everyone got back to whatever they were doing, and the low rumble of conversation started up again.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Hermione asked. I nodded in assurance. Neither of them looked fully convinced but they decided to drop it. I realized that it must almost be time to leave for my training session with Dumbledore. I decided to freshen up before leaving. I went upstairs to the bathroom. My face looked like it belonged to a stranger. My face was extremely pale, and was covered in a layer of sweat. I felt a little bit shaken too. Unfortunately I remembered the entire dream. I remembered the excruciating pain that I felt when the trees had caught fire.

I couldn't get the menacing look that Ben had given me out of my head. With one flick of his wrist, my entire forest was burning to the ground. I could feel a tear escape my eye and trail slowly down my cheek. Several more followed after that one. I couldn't pinpoint what it was that was bring tears to my eyes, but I allowed myself to cry in the hopes that I would feel a little bit better afterwards. After I had run out of tears, I dried off my face, and looked in the mirror. My face and eyes were puffy and red. I performed a quick spell to fix that. I really didn't want anyone asking me what was wrong or if I was alright. I pulled myself together and plastered a fake smile on my face, before going back to the common room and then continuing to Dumbledore's office.


	22. Chapter 22

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related.**_

**Just a quick, unrelated note! **

**A new Harry Potter forum has opened! King's Cross Station has been created to serve as a fun, friendly, and easygoing place for Harry Potter fans to get together to talk about the books and express themselves through fanfiction and fanart.**

**King's Cross Station is free to join, easy to use and wonderful way to get in touch with other Harry Potter fans. King's Cross Station can be found at / kingscrossstation. proboards. com (Just copy and paste this into your address bar and remove the spaces).**

**I'm totally have an account on there, under forgetmeknot and you should definitely go check it out! **

**Alright, now on to the story!**

__I walked quickly to Dumbledore's office because I was almost late for our appointment. I reached at eight o'clock exactly, when our appointment was supposed to start. Ben and Athena were already sitting in his office when I arrived.

"Sorry I'm late, Professor," I said quickly

"You're right on time, Ava," Dumbledore said, as he waved his wand and conjured a comfortable chair for me. I sat beside Athena and we waited for Dumbledore to speak.

"Thank you for joining me this evening," he started. "Today I would like to work like to work on collaborating your powers better," We had been mostly working on individual powers since Athena arrived. It was mostly so that Athena would begin to understand her powers, and figure out what she was able to do.

On one of our evening training sessions, Dumbledore decided to push Athena to see what her powers were at their strongest. We had been standing in the garden and Dumbledore instructed her to let the magic take control, in order to see what she could really do. I saw her face strained with concentration, and the speed of the wind picked up. I was sure that Ben and I looked pretty scary when we lost control of our magic, but it was nothing close to how terrifying Athena looked. Her long, black hair was whipping fiercely around her face, and her eyes rolled back. The most astounding part of the display was when she started to levitate off the ground. The wind had picked her up and was allowing her to rise higher and higher. Before she got too high, Dumbledore called her name, breaking her focus and forcing her to control her magic. She slowly lowered herself back to the earth. After that demonstration we managed to learn a lot more about her powers.

She was more powerful than we had imagined. In one memorable practice session, we realized that she was able to create a type of shield with air. She created a strong, impenetrable barrier between us and Dumbledore. Much more powerful than any shield charm and she managed to extend the shield across the entire garden, though I wouldn't be surprised if she would be able to stretch it across the entire Great Hall.

"Today, we're going to duel," Dumbledore said simply. "You three must use your powers to protect each other." We nodded, though the thought was pretty scary. I mean it was pretty well known that Dumbledore was the only person the Voldemort himself feared, but I also trusted Dumbledore. I knew that he wouldn't do anything to hurt us.

"And, you mustn't go easy on me," he said, with a small smile. I let out a small giggle at the thought. We continued to the garden and Ben, Athena and I stood opposite Dumbledore. Dumbledore bowed slightly, and we mirrored his action. Then, he straightened up and raised his wand. For a moment we stood immobile, but before I knew it a jet of purple light was flying to us. Instinctively, Athena waved her arm and the jet blew away just a second away from us.

Dumbledore suddenly started firing curses toward us faster than any person I had ever seen. It was as if there was an army in front of us. Athena was busy stopping the curses from touching us, so it was up to Ben and I to stop him.

I decided to let my instincts take over. I figured that Ben and I would be able to work better together if I wasn't thinking so hard about what my next move would be. I channelled my energy and allowed it to flow through my body to my feet and into the ground beneath me. The ground began to quiver. I pushed my magic further. The ground began to tremble harder and harder. I realized though that the force of the shaking ground would send us, as well as Dumbledore, flying. I concentrated my magic toward the section of the garden where Dumbledore was standing. Now, the ground beneath my feet was stable, but I could see that Dumbledore was having trouble keeping his stance. I continued to focus on the spot where he was standing, while Athena continued to deflect his jinxes.

Now it was Ben's turn to react. Ben's main focus was offensive, rather than the defensive role that Athena and I were playing. His hands were burning with small orbs of fire. He started to fling the flaming spheres at Dumbledore. Now, Dumbledore had to dodge and avoid the fire. It gave Athena enough time to manage to conjure the shield around us. I allowed the shaking in the ground to subside, and Ben stopped sending fireballs at him. We waited for a moment, before Dumbledore stood up and dusted himself off.

The shield encasing us disappeared, and we stood waiting for him to speak.

"Excellent work. I am so impressed by how far you all have managed to come," he said proudly. We all smiled, and we followed as Dumbledore started to walk toward the staircase back to his office. We took our seats once we had arrived.

"In a fight with Voldemort or his followers, it will be essential to let your powers work in harmony. You must be able to anticipate the other person's next move, so that you can react quickly. You all did brilliantly at that today. You should all go back to your rooms and rest now," he said with a kind smile. We all wished him good night and left his office. I realized now how drained I was feeling. My limbs felt really heavy and I noticed that my hair was clinging to my face with sweat. I couldn't wait to get back to the common room and take a long, hot shower.

After leaving Athena, Ben and I lapsed into silence yet again. As we approached the third fourth floor stairs, Ben spoke.

"I've got to go talk to Professor Vector about an extension on my Arithmancy report. I'll see you back in Gryffindor tower," he muttered, before stalking off. I continued back to the common room. When I got there I saw Ron sitting alone on the couch.

"How was your training?" Ron asked as I bounced onto the couch. I put my feet up on Ron's lap, and he just rolled his eyes.

"It was pretty good! I'm so exhausted though," I told him with a loud sigh.

"Oh, so that's why you're using me as a foot stool?" He smirked.

"Quiet Weasley. I'm comfortable here," I said as I closed my eyes and leaned back on the armrest. I opened my eyes suddenly because something occurred to me. Ron and Ben still talked all the time.

"Ron can I ask you something?" I said quietly.

"Of course, Ava," he said, looking over at me curiously.

"Has Ben been acting strange?" I asked.

"No, not with me. I have noticed that he's a little bit weird with you though. Did something happen?" He asked.

"I don't know... he's just won't talk to me or look at me. He's just acting like he's mad at me or something. I don't know what I did to upset him so much... and I was just wondering if he happened to mention something you," I explained.

"Well have you asked him what his problem is?" Ron asked me.

"Yeah. I've asked him so many times what his problem is but he just tells me I'm being too sensitive or that I'm being stupid," I replied.

"I don't know, Ava. He's nice enough but he's a little bit odd, no?" Ron said casually.

"I guess... He's alway been so nice though. He's just recently started being so... strange. I just wish he would tell me what was wrong," I sighed. I leaned back again and shut my eyes. Ron changed the subject to quidditch. We talked about Gryffindor's chances about winning this year's quidditch cup. Then we moved on to the Charms assignment. Ron was telling me about how Hermione had been helping him with the introduction.

"So Ron... how are things going with Hermione?" I said with a suggestive smirk. His cheeks turned bright red.

"What do you mean?" He said, feigning ignorance.

"Oh Ron, you don't have to play dumb with me! I know that you like Hermione!" I said.

"What? Who told you that?" He cried, a little louder than he meant to I think because several people turned to glance at us.

"Ron, it's obvious. Don't worry. I'm not going to say anything!" I assured him. He calmed down a little bit. "So tell me! Have you thought about how you're going to ask her out or anything?" Ron just sighed.

"No. I don't know how to tell her. She makes me too nervous," he confessed.

"Well Ron, if it were me, I'd go for it! Worst comes to worst, she'll turn you down," I told him. He gave me a small smile. Just then, the portrait swung open. Harry walked through the hole with his broomstick and polishing kit.

"Hey Harry," I called from the couch.

"Hey Ava, Ron," he replied, leaning up against a chair and dumping his stuff on the ground. "Ava, would you mind coming with me? I have to go to the library to get a book and I wouldn't mind some company," he told me.

"Sure thing! See you Ron," I called as I walked out of the common room with Harry. As soon as the portrait hold had shut Harry pushed me against the wall and pressed his lips to mine. I returned the kiss for a moment before pulling back.

"Harry! Somebody could see us!" I hissed.

"Nobody's going to see us!" He said, leaning in for another kiss. I reluctantly touched my lips to his but pulled away again.

"Seriously Harry! If someone see's us we're going to have a lot of explaining to do!" I scolded.

"Oh fine! C'mon then!" Harry said, taking my hand. We turned to walk down the hallway. However, there was someone there. Ben was standing in the hallway in front of us. He was wearing a wild expression on his face. It almost reminded me of the Ben I had seen in my dream... I immediately detached my hand from Harry's grasp.

"Ben..." I whispered, and started walking toward him.

"I don't want to hear it," he sneered, before turning and walking in the opposite direction of the Gryffindor tower.

"Crap. Harry, what are we going to do?" I whispered.

"I don't know. Maybe he won't say anything," he suggested.

"But what if he does?" I urged.

"Well, maybe it's not the worst thing. I mean we can stop sneaking around and we can stop pretending in public," he insisted.

"Well, let's just see what Ben does first. I'll talk to him when he gets back and I'll find out if he's going to tell everyone," I decided.

"Alright, that sounds fair," Harry agreed. I didn't much feel like going for a walk with Harry anymore, so we went back into the common room.

"I thought you were going to the library," Ron said, confused.

"Oh, I remembered I picked up the book earlier," Harry lied. I nodded towards the boys before going up to my room and lying down on my bed.

_Oh Avery, what a mess you have gotten yourself into_, I thought with a sigh.

If only I had know how big a mess this would all turn into... maybe I could have stopped it... but I didn't...

**Things are about to get seriously juicy... thanks for reading!**


	23. Chapter 23

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related. **_

**Ben POV**

After the training session with Dumbledore, I realized that I hadn't finished an arithmancy assignment. I decided to stop by Professor Vector's office and beg for an extension. Ava and I parted ways, and I continued down the corridor alone. It was pretty easy convincing Professor Vector for the extension... I had a real talent for charming people... well most people.

It had been a couple of weeks since I had witnessed Ava kissing Harry in the common room. I had kept my distance from Ava since then because I wasn't sure if I would be able to control my temper. She had noticed that something was wrong and had confronted me a couple of times, but I just brushed her off. After my jealous rage had subsided, I realized that I had been a little bit irrational, but I was still worried that the anger would return if I spent too much time with Ava.

After leaving Professor Vector I took my time walking back to the common room. I decided that when I got back to the common room I would go and talk to Ava. Just say hi, and apologize for being weird around her. I wasn't about to tell her what the real issue was but I knew that I should make up with her. I went over what I was going to say to her when I got back.

_Ava, I'm really sorry for being so stupid... no. Ava, I'm really sorry that I've been so weird... no! Ava, I'm sorry that I've been acting so weird... Why have I been acting weird? Oh, stress... and stuff. NO! _I argued in my head. I was nearing the portrait hole.

As I turned the corner, I was greeted by an unexpected sight. There were Harry and Ava, locked in a tight embrace, their lips pressed together. Ava pushed Harry away with a laugh and they started walking down the hallway toward me. When Ava saw me she froze, with a shocked expression. That jealously and anger I had felt last time was amplified now. My hands shook slightly, and I could feel the familiar tingling of magic in my fingertips.

"Ben..." she said as she started walking toward me.

"I don't want to hear it," I managed to say, through gritted teeth. I turned around and walked away from the Gryffindor tower. I went to the first place that popped into my mind – the astronomy tower. I walked down the hallway to the narrow set of stairs that would lead me upstairs. The moon was bright tonight so the tower was lit well. I paced up and down the small area, muttering to myself.

"That Potter thinks that he can just have whatever he wants? He thinks he can just take Ava from me? I won't stand for it. No, Potter... I won't. He thinks that just because he's the 'Boy that Lived' that he can just do what he likes. Well I guess I'm going to have to teach him a lesson now," I mumbled to myself. All the anger that I had been feeling over the last few weeks was bubbling over. I don't remember ever feeling this king of rage... and it was all over a girl. I guess love can make people do crazy things. Just then I heard a noise behind me. It sounded like footsteps. I drew my wand.

"Who's there?" I called out. The door to the top of the tower opened slowly, and there stood Draco Malfoy.

"Get lost Malfoy," I snapped, not lowering my own wand.

"I heard what you said," he whispered with a smirk.

"Oh did you now? And what exactly did you hear?" I asked with stoney expression.

"I heard you saying that you had to get rid of Potter... about how he stole that Alexander girl from you," he told me.

"So what is your point?" I said with annoyance colouring my voice.

"I can help you..." he whispered. My eyes grew wide. I hadn't been expecting that...

"Help me how?" I asked warily, in case this was some kind of trick.

"The only way to stop Potter is to defeat him. Get him out of the picture. That will clear the way for you to be with Avery," he told me.

"That doesn't answer my question. What do you mean by helping me?" I demanded, the anger from before filling my voice.

"You know, your rare gifts would be welcomed with the Dark Lord," he whisper said with a cold smile.

"My rare gifts?" I asked, unsure of what he meant.

"Oh, the Dark Lord knows all about you, Ben. He knows the powers you possess. He knows what you are capable off. He can help you achieve greatness... once Potter is gone, Avery will be yours. The Dark Lord will win the fight against Potter, and you can help him," he urged. My mind flashed to the image of Ava pressed against the wall and locking lips with Potter. I swallowed back the fresh wave of rage that the image evoked. It made my response to Malfoy all the more simple.

"You make a lot of sense," I said with a smirk of my own. "Potter must be stopped. Maybe this would be the best way."

"Excellent. The Dark Lord will be very pleased to hear your answer," he said.

"What happens now?" I asked him.

"For now, you must pretend that everything is normal. Just act as though nothing happened. The Christmas holidays are coming up soon. You will come back with me to my house and my father will be able to give you further instructions," he explained. I nodded in agreement.

"You should probably go back to your common room now," Draco suggested.

"Yes, that's probably a good idea," I agreed.

"Listen, we mustn't be seen talking in public. It will look suspicious. If you need to talk to me send me an owl," he said.

"No problem. Goodnight Malfoy," I said with a nod, before walking back down the narrow stairs. I couldn't help but smile as I walked back. It wasn't like my normal, cheerful smile though. It was a stoney smirk that was foreign to my face. I knew that I should be feeling guilty right now or something like that, but the only emotion I could feel was the cold hatred I felt for Harry right now. Like I said – love makes people do crazy things...

As I approached the Gryffindor tower, I plastered a fake smile on my face.

_Let the games begin, _I though.

**Avery POV**

I had sat in my room for a bit, but I was getting too restless. I couldn't think about anything but Ben and the hurt expression on his face before he stormed off. Finally I couldn't take it anymore. I went back to the common room and sat with Hermione, Ron and Harry to wait for Ben. When he got back I was going to take him aside and find out if he was alright.

I felt myself glancing back at the portrait hole every time I heard it open. Finally, Ben walked through. He was smiling slightly, so I took that as a good sign. I jumped up and walked over to him before he was able to walk to his dorm.

"Hey Ben. Can we talk for a minute?" I asked timidly.

"Sure Ava," he said cheerfully. I was surprised by the abrupt attitude change. I walked over to an abandoned corner of the common room and Ben followed. We sat across from each other.

"Ben, I'm really sorry about what you saw earlier. I know that I should have told you that Harry and I were together, but we just figured that it would be easier to keep it to ourselves for a while," I explained.

"Don't worry. I'm sorry about my reaction earlier. I was just surprised is all. I'm fine now!" He told me, with a smile. It looked a little bit strained, but I was so relieved by his statement that I chose not to pay any attention to that.

"Are you sure you're alright with this?" I asked him again.

"Avery. I am absolutely fine! I'm really happy for you and Harry," he added.

"You have no idea how glad I am to hear that. I've just felt like things have been kind of tense between us for the past couple of weeks," I admitted.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that too. I've just been really stressed with all the battling with Death Eaters business... and school and everything," said Ben.

"Don't worry! All is forgiven! Now everything can go back to normal," I said happily.

"So, are you going to tell the others about you and Harry anytime soon, or do you want me to just keep it quiet?" he asked me.

"Just keep it to yourself for now. When we're ready to tell people I'll let you know!" I said.

"Fair enough!" He agreed.

"Oh, so did Vector end up giving you that extension?" I asked.

"Of course she did! I just used my irresistible wit and charm!" He said with a laugh. I just rolled my eyes jokingly. It was awesome having Ben back to normal. I reached over and gave him a hug.

"What was that for?" He asked as I pulled away.

"No reason. Just happy that we're ok now!" I said. We got up and went back to Harry, Ron and Hermione. Ron and Ben decided to play a game of wizard's chess, which ended in Ron chucking his pawn in anger and it hitting a first-year in the back of the head.

Everything was all back to normal! So... why did I have an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I was so excited to just be hanging out with my friends, with my boyfriend sitting next to me, that I just pushed the feeling out of my mind.

Later that night, when I was lying in bed, I couldn't stop thinking about it. My dreaded insomnia was back again. Now all I could think about was the knot in my stomach.

I decided to go see Athena the next day, after my classes were done. I saw her in McGonagall's class and managed to slip her a note telling her I would come by later. After I had finished dinner I informed my friends that I was going to visit Athena and that I would be back shortly.

I knocked at her door and after a moment, it swung open.

"Ava, come on in!" she greeted me with a small hug. I sat down on the little love seat.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" she offered.

"Sure!" I accepted. She brought my a mug of steaming, tea. It was delicious.

"So, tell me what's wrong?" Athena asked as she took a seat beside me. Damn, she was perceptive.

"How did you know something was wrong?" I asked, curiously.

"I could just tell that something was bothering you. Now, spill!" she urged. Before I knew it, I had poured out the entire story. She already knew most of it, but she listened to me patiently while I talked to her.

"... and yesterday, Ben saw Harry and I kissing, so he stormed off. Then, he came back like half an hour later and he was smiling and talking to me again. And he apologized for being so weird and stuff," I finished.

"Alright, so then what is the issue?" she asked, confused.

"I don't know. I just have a weird feeling in my stomach. I don't know how to explain it but something just doesn't feel right," I explained.

"Hmm.. that is strange. I have a theory, but I am not sure if it is right or not. I think as Elements we have a good understanding of the other person. I think that we have a particular sensitivity to the others' emotions. I think it's how I was able to tell that something was wrong when you got here today. Could it be that you're sensing that Ben isn't being completely honest with you? Could it be that he's just putting on a happy face so that you don't worry about him?" she suggested.

"I never thought about it like that. That's a pretty good theory I think. It could be... but why would Ben be upset about this?" I asked her in confusion.

"Avery. Honestly! You are so bad at taking hints. It's obvious that Ben is in love with you!" she cried.

"WHAT?" I exclaimed.

"Oh, come on! How could you not notice? He definitely has feelings for you. It would explain his strange behaviour after seeing you with another guy!" She suggested.

"Well, I guess if you're right then that would make sense. I hope you're wrong though. That would complicate things so much," I sighed.

"I don't think I am wrong. You need to be careful though... love is a powerful emotion. More powerful than hate... or sadness... or anything really. You must make sure that you don't hurt him," Athena said.

"I know. Oh gosh, what a bloody mess this has turned into. I think for now I'm just going to see how things go. Hopefully everything will turn out alright," I said wearily.

"Don't worry. Everything happens for a reason. Everything will be fine in the end," she promised.

**Shit just got real... hope you liked it! Thx for reading!**


	24. Chapter 24

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related! **_

**Ben POV**

I awoke the next morning with a heavy heart. After a good night's sleep and some time to clear my head I realized what a terrible, dangerous mistake I had made. Not only had I put my own life at risk, but I had also endangered Ava and Harry. And for what? A little bit of jealously? How could I be so stupid? After calming down I could really see what I had done.

Now I had basically pledged my allegiance to Voldemort! I knew that if I told Malfoy that I had changed my mind, I would be killed. I couldn't think of anyway to get out of this terrible situation.

There was something else that was troubling me. The rage and hatred that I had felt yesterday was completely out of character for me. I was usually able to think rationally and make a good decision. Yesterday I felt like a completely different person. I briskly got out of bed and got ready. There was only one person that could help me with this.

It was a Tuesday, so I had History of Magic first period. I knew that there were more important things to attend to at this moment, so I decided to ditch. It wasn't like Binns would even notice. I left the common room, and instead of heading to the stairs to the classes I walked to the stairs leading me upstairs, to the seventh floor.

I approached the stone gargoyle and muttered the password (Sherbet lemon). It jumped out of the way and allowed me passage to the winding staircase. I knocked at the office door and waited. My hands shook slightly with nervousness. I mean, I was basically telling the greatest wizard in the world that I had betrayed him...

"Come in," said a quiet voice. I pushed open the door and walked over to Dumbledore's desk.

"Ben! Please sit down. To what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye.I sat down in front of him.

"Professor, I've made a horrible mistake," I whispered.

"Tell me what has happened?" Dumbledore asked kindly. I stared down at my lap because I couldn't stand seeing disappointment in his twinkling eyes.

"I was upset last night... I saw something that really made me angry. I saw Avery and Harry kissing..." I slowly explained. "I was so angry that I went for a walk to the Astronomy tower. I guess I was talking to myself and Malfoy heard me... I was saying some pretty terrible stuff. Malfoy told me that Voldemort knew about my powers and that he wanted me to join his side and use my powers to defeat Harry. I...," my voice trailed off. I could finish my sentence.

"And you agreed to join him, because you were jealous of Harry," Dumbledore finished for me. I reluctantly nodded.

"Professor, I can't explain it. I've never felt anger like that. I've never felt like that before," I told him. Dumbledore just sighed wearily in response.

"This is a grave mistake you have made. I believe that your inexplicable rage came from your Elemental powers. With so much magic in your system, it is difficult to control sometimes. One of the most unfortunate side effects of being one of the Elements is heightened emotions. You agreed to join Voldemort because your magic was controlling you, rather than you controlling it," he explained. At least I understood now I guess.

"Sir, I don't want to join Voldemort! I don't want to hurt Ava or Harry! I would never want that," I pleaded.

"I know that you would never want any harm to come to either of them," he assured me. That was another plus.

"What can I do about this?" I asked him. He considered my question thoughtfully for a moment.

"There is only one viable option. You must continue to pretend to be faithful to Voldemort. This may act as an advantage to us after all. You must make them believe that you are a part of their side. It may be possible for you to gain some insight into their operations, which could be beneficial to the Order of the Phoenix," he said. My spirits lifted considerably. Something positive would come out of my stupidity.

"You must be extremely careful though. Voldemort will not hesitate to kill you. If he suspects that you are acting as a double agent he will kill you without blinking an eye," he assured me.

"I understand, but I have to do something to fix this," I told him. He nodded understandingly.

"Voldemort will ask you for information about the actions of the Order. We will be able to provide you with bits of unimportant information that you can pass on. It will make you even more valuable to Voldemort, and he will begin to trust you more and more" Dumbledore said.

"Of course. I'm really sorry about this Professor. I honestly can't believe I did such a stupid thing," I apologized.

"Ben, even the most brilliant man has made mistakes. It is important that you take responsibility for your actions, which you are doing right now," he told me.

"One more thing, Sir. I want to tell Ava. I've messed up so many things and I don't want to have to lie to her even more," I explained.

"I understand. You must do as you feel fit. I would just exercise caution when you tell people. Voldemort has informants everywhere," Dumbledore said.

"Absolutely. Ava will be the only person I tell," I promised.

"Very well then. Now, I must suggest that you go to class now. I am sure Professor Binns is wondering where you are," he said. I thanked him again and left his office. Though I knew that my job would be dangerous, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I decided not to go to History of Magic because iI realized that there was only ten minutes left in the class. I started toward the dungeons instead, for my potions class.

When I reached, the class was empty and open. I went in and sat in my usual seat. Slowly Gryffindors and Ravenclaws started to trickle in. The lesson was pretty easy today. I had already learned how to make this potion so I didn't really have to think too much. Instead, I focused on how I was going to tell Ava tonight. This could potentially ruin our friendship forever, but I was hoping that she would take my plan with Dumbledore as a sign that I was sorry and was trying to fix it.

By the time my potion had finished simmering I had come up with a plan on how to explain the situation to Ava. I continued through the day thinking about my impending doom. Luckily none of my lessons today really required a whole lot of brain power, except Charms where we were starting the Patronus charm.

The end of the day came far too soon. I was dreading having to have my talk with Ava, but I knew it had to be done. I decided to tell her after dinner. I tried not to look too nervous during dinner though I'm sure the noticed that I was more jumpy than usual.

"Ava, can I talk to you please?" I asked once we got back to the common room.

"Sure Ben! What's up?" she asked.

"Not here. Can we go talk somewhere else?" I said.

"Sure. Where?"

"Up to my room?" I suggested.

"Alright. Lead the way!" she said cheerfully. I lead her up the boys' staircase and to the room that I shared with Harry and Ron. I sat down on my bed and she sat beside me.

"So, what's this all about?" said Ava. I inhaled deeply and prepared myself.

"I did something terrible. I want you to know about it because I'm sick of lying to you," I explained. Then I launched into the story. I told her everything, even things I hadn't been planning to tell her.

I told her about witnessing the kiss between her and Harry in the common room and why I had been avoiding her for those weeks. Then I told her about seeing the kiss in the hallway, and how the jealousy took over. I told her about my conversation with Malfoy, and my deal to help Voldemort. Throughout the entire conversation she just stared at me with a hard expression on her face.

"I'm going to fix this though. I woke up this morning and realized what I had done. I went and talked to Dumbledore, and he figured out a way for this to be a positive thing. I'm going to pretend to be Voldemort's man. Then I can pass on little bits of unimportant information, so he begins to trust me. I'll be able to learn about some of his plans and pass them on to the Order," I explained. She just sat on my bed and stared at me.

"Come on, Ava. Say something? Please?" I begged. She seemed to be thinking about the perfect words. Then she spoke.

"Thank you for telling me. I understand that you made a mistake, and I appreciate you trying to fix it. But... I don't think I'll be able to trust you again," she said softly. The knot in my stomach tightened.

"I understand. I'm going to earn back your trust. I promise," I told her. She gave me a weary look.

"One more thing... why did it matter so much.. that I was with Harry?" She asked. This was the one question I had been really hoping she wouldn't ask me, but I knew that she deserved the truth.

"Because... I'm in love with you, Ava. It kills me to see you with Harry. But I know that I don't deserve you. And I also know that you're happy with him, so I will learn to deal," I promised. She seemed taken aback with my confession.

"Oh... I didn't know..." she trailed off.

"Listen, please don't feel guilty or feel like you owe me something. I will get over it and just learn to be happy for you both," I told her.

"Ok.. Thanks for telling me the truth about everything," she said again. She squeezed my shoulder lightly before leaving the room. That had gone much better that I had expected it to go. And I was going to spend as much time as it took to gain back Ava's trust and prove to her that I was a good guy.

That night I was able to sleep easy, exhausted from extreme emotions I had been feeling all day. Tomorrow I would begin my new role as a double-agent.

**Oh ho! A twist! Hope you enjoyed! :)**


	25. Chapter 25

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related.**_

**A/N: SO I realized that I made a slight mistake. Not a big one... It only just occurred to me that Ron was on the Gryffindor Quidditch team in 5th year. Oops. I have updated Chapter 21 to include that... now on to the chapter!**

Things were slowly beginning to look normal again. Everyone was friends again, though I was slightly weary around Ben. I knew that he was sorry for his mistake and that he was doing something to fix it, but I still couldn't bring myself to trust him just yet. I was proud of him for doing something so dangerous to help protect Harry, though. It was only a matter of time before he had gained back my trust.

Other than the Ben stuff, everything was pretty much boring. All of the Professors were piling on assignments and tests to prepare us for our OWLs which were slowly approaching. I had never seen so much homework in my life. Hermione had already created a study schedule for us, since we were taking all the same classes...even though it was only November. She forced me to study Ancient Runes with her every evening after classes.

This proved to be extremely difficult, as I was also balancing my lessons with Dumbledore and quidditch practice. The lessons were going pretty well. Athena, Ben and I had been focusing on making our powers work together better. We were getting really good at anticipating the other person's next move. Dumbledore seemed really pleased with our progress, so I wasn't so worried about the lessons.

Quidditch, on the other hand, was a whole different story. Our first game against Slytherin was coming up on Wednesday, which was just two days away. Angelina was obsessively pacing around the Gryffindor common room, muttering to herself about different plays that we could try. It was almost like Oliver Wood was back...

The team seemed strong enough this year but I was still nervous about playing against Slytherin. They had no problem at all with knocking people off their brooms. Ron and I had started practising together quite a bit recently. I could tell that Ron was terrified of the first match, which was resulting in him letting in more and more Quaffles. I tried to be encouraging, but it was starting to make me even more nervous.

Angelina had scheduled us to practice every night that week. Hermione was certainly not happy about setting the entire study schedule a week back, but I figured she would get over it eventually.

Today's quidditch practice had been especially brutal. The weather was starting to become cold and rainy. Today was no exception. The poring rain made it exceptionally difficult to see the goal posts. I couldn't imagine how Harry was managing to see the snitch. Ron's nervousness was at an all time high today, and he managed to let in every goal that we sent toward him.

"Team, stop your whining! We have to practice in this weather! We never know how it''s going to be on Wednesday!" She called when we began complained upon exiting the changing rooms. I knew she was right, but that didn't stop me from making faces at her when her back was turned. Harry found this amusing and began to laugh loudly, but turned it into a cough when Angelina gave him a suspicious glance.

Speaking of Harry, things were going great with him. We were both so busy at the moment that I felt like I hadn't really talked to him in days. We had organized an official date for this coming Saturday, as it was a Hogsmeade trip. This meant that we had four days to tell Ron and Hermione about our relationship. We decided to leave that until after the quidditch match was over.

By the time the practice had ended, we were all soaked from head to toe, and shivering. I had never been happier to see the inside of the change rooms that I was today. I took a hot shower before changing quickly and going back to the common room. I had to finish my Charms homework before tomorrow, so I collected my books and found a nice corner of the common room to make my nest.

Ron was silent for the rest of the night. He just sat on the couch in front of the fire, watching the flames flicker. I felt really bad for the guy, but I couldn't think of a way to cheer him up.

The homework too me twice as long as I had hoped. It was probably because I was so tired that I kept falling asleep on top of my books. Harry, being the gentleman that he is, kept shooting rubber bands at me every time he saw me dozing off. I made a mental note to get him back later. After several hours of hard work I managed to finish the work. My eyes were tired and my body was cramping up. I looked around me and realized that the common room was completely empty except for Neville who looked like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"Neville, do you need some help?" I asked reluctantly. I was longing for my bed but he always had a helpless quality that made me feel the need to help him.

"I'm just having trouble with these potions questions! Snape makes me so nervous," he muttered, embarrassed. I suppressed a smile. It was pretty common knowledge that Snape terrified the poor boy. I was sure that Neville would be an adequate potion-maker if Snape wasn't constantly breathing down his neck.

"Let me see!" I said, grabbing the piece of parchment. I looked it over and corrected a couple of mistakes he had made.

"There you go! It should make more sense now," I told him, handing him back his work.

"Thanks, Ava," he said gratefully.

"No problem, Neville! G'night!" I said, and continued to the girls' stairs.

"Night!" I heard from the common room.

* * *

><p>Today was the quidditch game against Slytherin. I had managed to get a good night's sleep, with the aid of a tiny sip of sleeping potion from my stash... clearly I'm an insomniac. I got up bring and early and got ready for the day. I went to make sure that Ron and Harry were awake, which they weren't. I had to threaten both of them with a tickling charm to get their lazy asses out of bed. After quickly getting ready, Harry, Ron and I went to the Great Hall to grab a quick bite to eat before going to the changing rooms. Ron had a sickly, green tinge to his skin. He looked like he was going to be sick at any moment. I tried giving him some encouraging words, but nothing was working.<p>

Angelina was already there, surrounded with multiple boards, covered in plays. She looked a little bit frazzled, to say the least. Clearly, she wanted to keep up the Gryffindor winning streak that we maintained from winning the quidditch cup two years ago.

I went and collected my stack of quidditch robes and went to get ready. By the time I had finished getting dressed, Fred and George had arrived in the change room, followed by Katie Bell. Everyone was gathered around, busy getting ready. Harry was sitting on a bench trimming the bristles of his broom, while Fred was flirting with Angelina. She didn't seem pretty impressed by his attempt at courting... Once everyone was finished getting ready, Angelina made us gather around her play boards.

"Alright team. We've trained hard, and we have a good chance here. We've already proved that we can be the best team. Now let's go out there and show those Slytherins how to play quidditch!" She said. The entire team (minus Ron) cheered loudly. We began getting our gear together. I strapped on my gloves, and grabbed my Nimbus 2000. We all exited the changing room and were greeted by thunderous applause from the packed stadium. I noticed that several Slytherin spectators were holding signs that said "Weasley is our King". I could feel Ron shaking beside me. I gave his hand a quick, reassuring squeeze.

Luckily, the weather was perfect quidditch conditions. The sun was a little bit bright and there was a bit of a cold breeze, but there were no hints of rain clouds in the sky, which was a definite plus. The smell of freshly cut grass and the sounds of the cheering crowds made butterflies flutter through my stomach. I alway got nervous before a game, but I knew that as soon as I kicked off the ground, those fears would disappear.

"Good luck," Harry whispered to me before running over to his position. The team took our places on the field as well. Angelina shook Flint's hand, and mounted her broom. We all followed suit and got ready for take off. I glanced around at the Slytherin team. Malfoy was standing opposite Harry. He had on a broad smirk on his face.

"I want a nice, fair game from all of you," Madam Hooch called out, throwing a suspicious glance over at the Slytherin team. We all nodded in agreement. Then, there was a loud screech of a whistle, and we were off!

Within seconds of the whistle, the Quaffle was flying toward me. I swooped down and caught it just in time. I took off toward the Slytherin Chaser. I was mere feet away from being able to shoot, when I noticed a Bludger shooting toward. I was about to be squished but thankfully George came out of nowhere and hit the Bludger in the opposite direction.

"Cutting it a little bit close there, Weasley," I joked before speeding forward and throwing the Quaffle. The chaser must have been a little distracted by my almost-death. Unfortunately, he swooped over at the last possible second and saved the goal.

The Slytherins gained possession of the Quaffle. They shot at Ron, and he missed it. The Quaffle soared through the centre hoop. I groaned loudly. Then I heard the crowd. They were singing.

_Weasley is our King._

_ Weasley is our King. _

_ He always lets the Quaffle in._

_ Weasley is our King. _

I didn't have time to be angry because Angelina had called a time out. We all dived and landed on the grass beside her. Ron was looking greener than ever.

"Harry, any sight of the snitch yet?" She asked.

"I caught a glimpse of it, but it flew away before I could get to it," he explained.

"Alright then. Just make sure that ferret Malfoy doesn't get it," she ordered.

"Will do, boss," Harry joked. She turned and started talking to the twins.

"Harry, don't be afraid to know that Malfoy git off his broomstick!" I whispered.

"Don't tempt me," he sighed. A couple of minutes later, we were all in the air again. Things didn't improve very much after that. The Slytherins were still singing their Weasley is Our King song, which was making Ron more agitated. He managed to let in three more goals. Now the score was forty-zero. I was starting to get worried.

The singing was getting louder and louder. I saw the Quaffle flying in between two of the Slytherin chasers. I took the opportunity and dived, and caught the Quaffle before it reached the second Slytherin. I soared toward the Slytherin goalposts, and flung the Quaffle as hard as I possibly could.

Thankfully, it flew through the centre hoop! The crowd went wild. Suddenly, from the corner of my eye I saw Harry take a steep dive. Everyone stopped to watch. Malfoy was right on his tail, trying to snatch the Snitch before Harry could get it. But alas, Harry was a much better flyer, and Malfoy was left behind as Harry picked up speed. He stretched out his arm, and it was all over.

He raised his hand in triumph, and I could see tiny gold wings fluttering furiously in his clenched fist. I screamed loudly with the rest of the crowd! I was about to fly over and congratulate Harry when I saw him buckle in agony, as a Bludger collided into his back. The force knocked him off his broom. He was low to the ground though so he wasn't really hurt from the fall, but I charged over to where he was lying.

"Harry? Are you alright?" I said as I touched down on the ground.

"I'm ok... just going to have a nasty bruise," he said. I reached over and gently helped him off his back. He was still clutching the Snitch. I was so happy that we had just won, and I was even more happy that Harry was ok. I threw my arms around his neck, and without even thinking I pressed my lips against his. He seemed surprised, but he returned the kiss.

There it was... now the entire school knew about Harry and I. We were going to have a lot of explaining to do tonight when Hermione and Ron were able to talk to us alone. But for now, I was just happy to be wrapped in Harry's arms.

**THX FOR READING! :) **


	26. Chapter 26

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related. **_

"So, you guys are official then?" Ron asked.

"Yeah. We just thought it would be easier to keep it to ourselves for a while before telling everyone," Harry explained. He took my hand gently in his own. When Harry did this, I glanced over at Ben. He winced slightly at the action, but quickly changed his expression to a smile. I couldn't help but feel a little bit bad for him, but I couldn't really focus on that right now.

"I'm really happy for you!" Hermione said with a supportive grin.

"Thanks," I replied. I was worried that they would be mad that we hadn't told them, but I had a feeling that they had guessed by themselves. I suppose our excuses had been getting a little bit feeble lately. I can't believe that I thought that Hermione would fall for it. We had been using quidditch as an excuse far too much.

Ben was very quiet throughout the conversation. He just sat on the armchair and stared into the fire solemnly. I made a mental note to find out if he was doing alright later. I knew that he was going through a tough time. The Christmas holidays were fast approaching and I was sure that Ben was starting to become anxious about going back to the Malfoy Manor.

Dumbledore had been teaching Ben how to act and what to say to make sure that everyone would be convinced that he was a part of their side. I could tell that he was getting more and more stressed as the days passed. He would come back from meetings with Dumbledore looking downtrodden. It was a difficult thing though, what he was going to do. It was incredibly dangerous, especially if Voldemort was to find out that he was a double agent.

Hermione had gone back to her book, and Ron and Harry had started up a conversation about the match that we had just returned from. Ron was still upset about his performance. I took this opportunity to move over to the chair beside Ben.

"So, how're you doing?" I asked quietly. He glance over at me for a moment.

"I've... been better," he admitted.

"How are the lesson things going?" I asked. He knew what I was referring to immediately.

"It's going to be tough. I don't know how I'm going to be able to convince those Death Eaters that I'm one of them," he told me.

"I'm sure you'll be able to pull it off. Just turn on the charm and they'll absolutely believe it. So have you talked to Malfoy about the plans for going to his house?" I asked.

"Not yet. I'm just putting it off until I absolutely have to. I should probably get on that huh?" he said sarcastically.

"Maybe you ought to do that," I replied with a laugh.

"Fine! I'll go send Malfoy an owl right now," Ben said with an exaggerated sigh. He got up and went to his room.

* * *

><p><strong>Ben POV<strong>

I wrote a quick note to Malfoy telling him that I would meet him in the astronomy tower in half an hour. I slipped on my shoes and went back to sit in the common room for a few minutes. While I was waiting I went back to my seat beside Ava.

"Ok, I sent Malfoy a message saying that I would meet him in half an hour," I informed her.

"Good! Now just pretend that you are really concerned with us finding out where you're going. It will make it seem more believable," she instructed. I nodded in agreement. I waited for a few more minutes, but I was getting too restless so I decided to make my way to the astronomy tower.

I took my time walking to the tower. It was late so I had to be careful not to get caught. I definitely didn't have time for detention right now.

Luckily, I managed to reach the astronomy tower without incident. I was there really early, so I took a seat against a wall. The sky was really clear tonight, so there were millions of stars were visible. I used these few minutes to myself to prepare for my meeting with Malfoy. I would have to put on a good act to get him to believe me.

I replaced the neutral expression with a cold smirk, and waited silently for Malfoy to show up. Finally, after I had been waiting for about twenty minutes, I heard faint footsteps coming with the staircase. I stood up and leaned against the wall behind me. After a moment, Malfoy emerged through the door.

"Malfoy, thanks for coming," I said. He just nodded.

"So, what did you want?" Malfoy asked.

"I wanted to arrange our plans for Christmas holidays," I responded.

"Alright. You will come back on the train and be taken to my house," Draco said with a bored tone.

"But what if my friends ask questions? They obviously can't know where I'm going," I replied.

"Just tell them you've got an old family friend that lives in England that you are going to spend the holidays with. I'll make sure one of my father's friends are there to collect you," he said.

"I suppose that would work. It's just important that nobody finds out what's happening. You know how nosy they are," I said. Malfoy let out a small, scornful laugh at this.

"Yeah. Especially that mudblood Granger," he laughed. It took a lot my control not to hex him right there for using that word, but with effort I managed to keep the smirk on my face.

"Alright then. Now I should get back to the common room before they get suspicious," I told him.

"Right," Malfoy said, with a nod. We left together and parted ways without another word. Well, that was successful. He didn't seem suspicious or anything. I think he bought it, so I was safe for now. Now, I just had to prepare myself for spending Christmas with the enemy. I was so not looking forward to the term coming to an end. But alas it did. When you're hoping something will last longer, time just seems to fly away...

* * *

><p><strong>Avery POV <strong>

It seemed like only yesterday we had won quidditch match, and the entire school had found out about my relationship with Harry, but in reality, it had been almost a month. I can look back at this time as one of the happiest in my life.

Everything was going smoothly... classes were going as well as any other year, so I wasn't really worried about them. My lessons were fine... not really stressful. I was really learning to master my powers, and I was doing well.

Things with Ben had gone back to normal, more or less. I still saw him cringing sometimes Harry took my hand or hugged me, but he was back to the cheerful and sweet Ben that I had met months ago.

Speaking of Harry, we were doing... amazing! Now that everyone knew, we didn't have to sneak around anymore, which instantly relieved some of the intense stress I had been feeling. I think our friends sometimes wished they didn't know though, because we were always lovey-dovey... I saw Ron pretend to hang himself a couple of times, but I just laughed at that.

Oh, how are Ron and Hermione doing, you ask? Well, Ron is all talk, so he never ended up asking Hermione out or anything, What a chicken! I was hoping that something would happen during the Christmas holiday, which I had already finished pack for. Hermione, Harry, Ron and I would be going back to the Burrow for Christmas. I was so excited!

I was originally going to spend my time off with Gran and Dylan, but they had decided to go visit my Uncle Dave in Scotland, so I decided to pass. Instead, I was going to spend the two weeks with Ron's family. It was going to be a blast... I heard that even Charlie and Bill were coming back this year. I had only met them once, but I had instantly like them. I had never told anyone this, but I had a tiny crush on Bill. He was just so damn cute, with the long hair and the fang earring...

Needless to say, I was pumped for the train to come tomorrow! I had already finished packing a large bag full of all the thing I would need, including presents for the entire Weasley family, and Harry and Hermione. There had been a Hogsmeade trip a couple of weeks ago, and I had managed to pick out a bunch of awesome gifts.

For Hermione, I had gotten an ink dispensing quill, which I had seen her looking at the last time we had gone to Hogsmeade. She said it was too expensive, so I had decided to pick it up for her! For Ron, I got a new wizard's chess set. It was a small, glass set that I knew he would love.

I had managed to get a few small trinkets for everyone. Ginny was getting a pretty silver necklace with a heart pendant. Fred and George were getting a gift basket of Zonko's products. I got Mrs. Weasley a set of oven mitts and an apron that said 'World's Best Mom'. I was really excited to give Mr. Weasley his gift. I had managed to get Dylan to send me an old video game device that he had that ran on batteries. He sent it to me, along with a box of batteries. I knew that Mr. Weasley was going to flip out!

Bill and Charlie were harder to shop for, but I managed to find a couple of nice things. I had even gotten something small for Percy... though I wasn't sure if he would be there.

Harry was the last gift I had gotten. It was the hardest of all of them. I couldn't think of anything that Harry wanted or needed... I had searched every store in Hogsmeade and come up with nothing! I ended up going home without anything for Harry. It had taken me a long time but I had finally figured out what I was going to give him..

I had taken every photo that I had of our friends, and him and put them all into a scrapbook. It's kinda lame, I know, but I knew how much Harry treasured the scrapbook of his parents. I figured that if anything was to happen to any of us, it would be a good thing for him to have. I had gotten pictures from everyone I could think off: Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville, Pavarti. I had even gone sent an owl to Mrs. Weasley for any pictures that she had of us. She had supplied a sizable stack of photos dating back to our first year at Hogwarts. I put them together in a thick, leather book and tied a red ribbon around it.

I packed up all these items, along with my clothes and stuff, and got ready to leave tomorrow.

The next morning was pretty hectic. Everyone was running around and looking for missing shoes, or trying to find all their friends to give out gifts. I was one of the few that was already packed. I hauled my stuff to the common room, and sat down to watch the hilarity, but soon enough it was time to go.

Everyone loaded into carriages, and were driven to the train station. The Hogwarts Express was waiting for us. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ben and I found a compartment to ourselves. We spent the entire train ride playing exploding snap, or snacking on junk food. It was a pleasant afternoon. It was soon dark outside, and I knew that we must be close.

The train came to a screeching stop, and we were there!


	27. Chapter 27

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related.**_

We stepped off the train and were immediately greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, along with Bill. We all exchanged hugs, which took some time. I saw that Ben was looking around for someone, probably the person that was picking him up from the train station. I couldn't help looking around as well.

"Well, I should go find my friend then," Ben announced loudly. We all nodded and said our goodbyes. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley knew the plan already, as Dumbledore thought it best to keep the Order members informed. He had also told Ben that it was fine to tell Harry, Ron and Hermione. He had sat them all down and explained the situation, though he didn't exactly go into all the details. He didn't tell them why he had been so angry, or anything like that. I knew it would have caused more problems than it was worth.

He had just said that he had been really angry, and Draco heard him, and offered him a place with Voldemort, which he took. But he regretted it, and was now working as a double agent. Harry, Ron and Hermione had been more understanding that I had expected. They had even been supportive, and even a little bit impressed with his bravery. I was so glad that everyone knew what was going on now. I was getting sick of keeping things from them.

"Hey, Ava," Ben said, pulled me aside before he left. "I wanted to say Merry Christmas, and stuff to you before leaving."

"Oh! Merry Christmas! I hope it isn't too awful spending Christmas with the Malfoys," I said, pulling him into a hug.

"Yeah... I hope it's not bad. Listen, I have something for you," He said. He rummaged in his bag for a moment, before pulling out a small box.

"Thanks, Ben," I said. I was about to start pulling off the paper, but he caught my hand.

"Open it on Christmas," he requested. I nodded in agreement.

"Hm, maybe I should give you yours as well," I said. I opened a compartment of my bag and pulled out his gift.

"Thanks," he said. He pulled me into another brief hug before leaving to look for his ride. I went back and joined the rest of the group. Everyone was still talking animatedly about Christmas, and stuff. A few minutes later we were all piling into several cars. Mr. Weasley had managed to get some cars from the Ministry of Magic to bring us all back to the house. The drive was long, but it was pretty fun. Bill, Ron and Harry were talking about quidditch (of course...), while Mrs. Weasley was questioning Hermione, Ginny and me about the school year. I had to embellish a few details... about Harry and I, and about stuff that happened with Ben, but I mostly just told her about how well my classes were going.

Finally, the car came to a halt. I looked out of the window to see one of my favourite places in the world: the Burrow. It was a tall, but slightly crooked house. The overgrown lawn was covered in gnomes that were running around and pushing each other down their gnome holes. I saw Charlie peek his head out the kitchen window when he heard us arrive, and then he ran outside to help us with our bags. Without even asking, he pulled the strap of my big bag out of my hand and threw it over his shoulder. Before I could protest he walked off to the house. I took Chester's cage (my owl... haven't mentioned him in a while, huh?) and I followed him into the house. He walked up the stairs and into Ginny's room, where two cots had been set up for Hermione and I.

"Thanks, Charlie! How've you been?" I asked him.

"Not too bad! Got a nasty burn a couple of days ago though! Look!" He said, pulling up his sleeve to reveal a huge, shiny scar. For some reason, Ron's brothers always liked to show me gross things, including, but not limited to, cuts and scars.

"Charlie! That looks awful! Are you alright?" I asked, with concern.

"Of course I'm fine!" He laughed, and ruffled my hair. "So, how have you been?"

"I'm alright... I guess. Things have been pretty stressful all semester, but things have finally started to calm down!" I responded.

"Well that's good to hear! Glad to hear you haven't managed to blow anything up yet," he joked. He seemed to think of me as the trouble-maker of all of Ron's friends.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now quit teasing me and let's go help the others with their bags!" I said, pulling him out of Ginny's bedroom. Downstairs was quite the chaotic scene. Everybody's bags were scattered everywhere, Fred and George were already getting yelled at by Mrs. Weasley, Pigwidgeon was soaring happily through the room and perching on people's heads for a moment. Bill was talking to Hermione about his job at Gringotts, while Ron and Ginny were arguing about something or the other. Harry and Mr. Weasley were quietly chatting about something. What a scene...

I went over and joined the crowd. Mrs. Weasley seemed to notice that we were all just awkwardly standing around the living room.

"Everyone, go wash up for dinner! Fred and George, can you go and set up some tables in the garden. There is no way that everyone will fit in the kitchen!" She said, before bustling around the kitchen to get everything ready.

Everyone went upstairs and got changed and washed for dinner. We were all back downstairs in about fifteen minutes. We were greeted by a wave of delicious smells. We followed the scrumptious aromas to the back garden, which had been completely transformed. Now there were three tables set up, with twinkling lights shining above us. I had expected it to be cold outside, but somehow it was toasty warm around the table. The table was covered in plates and dishes of tasty looking food.

We all tucked in. Mrs. Weasley was an amazing cook, and she managed to make all my favourites. Ron piled his plate so high, it was almost as if he hadn't been fed in months. I just watched him in awe for a few moments, but I was snapped out of my trance by a loud laugh from the other end of the table. A few of the Order members had decided to join us for dinner. Tonks was with us, and was telling Harry and Ginny a hilarious story judging by the way they were all clutching their sides with laughter.

It was a fun time. I laughed a lot, and by the time my plate was cleared, I was feeling exhausted, but happy. Mrs. Weasley finally sent us all up to bed, after Ginny had fallen asleep at the table and Fred and George had turned her eyebrows blue.

The lot of us trekked up the stairs to our rooms. I changed tiredly, and got into the little cot, which was surprisingly comfortable. Within minutes, I was sleeping like a baby.

* * *

><p><strong>Ben POV <strong>

After leaving Ava and the everyone else, I searched around for the person that was supposed to pick me up.

"Are you Ben?" said a gruff voice from behind me. I turned to see a man with a large scar down his cheek and cropped brown hair.

"Yes I am. Are you Mr. Malfoy's friend?" I asked, nervously.

"Sure. I'm his... friend," said the man, with a laugh. He started walking away, and I took this as a cue to follow him. He lead me through a barrier, which took us to a much less crowded, muggle station. I continued to follow close behind him. We walked for a few minutes through the streets of London. Then we came to a pub, which we entered. I found it a little bit strange that this man wanted to stop for a drink before taking me, but I followed quietly.

When we entered, it was clear that it was a wizard bar. He lead me over to a fireplace and handed me a container of Floo Powder. I took a handful.

"Just say Malfoy Manor," he instructed. I stepped into the fireplace and pulled my bags with me. I threw the powder and yelled, "Malfoy Manor". For a moment nothing happened, but suddenly I felt like I was being sucked into the fireplace. I gripped my bags tightly and took off into the Floo network. After a dizzying journey, I came to a stop at a fireplace. I stepped out into a large, dimly lit living room. As soon as I had stepped out, three house elves appeared in front of me. They took my things and started dusting off the soot from my clothes. Once I was deemed acceptable by the elves, they pointed in the direction I should go.

I followed in the direction that they told me. This house was incredible. It was huge, to put it lightly. There was something about this house though, that gave me the creeps. I continued walking down the long corridor. Finally, I approached an enormous wooden door. I knocked softly, before it flew open. Behind the door was Draco.

"Ah, you're here. Come in," he told he, stepping aside to allow me to enter. I could see a man sitting in a large armchair, and a mousey woman sitting beside him.

"Ben, these are my parents. Mother and Father, this is Ben. The Element," he told them. Immediately, Mr. Malfoy jumped to his feet and held out his hand and I shook it.

"Thank you for allowing me to come here, Sir. I would not want to go spend the holidays at those blood traitors' house," I said, though I felt terrible for calling the Weasleys blood traitors. Mr. Malfoy just laughed loudly at my comment.

"Of course. I understand. Those filthy Weasleys... I can't imagine spending time in their house. And, we wanted to meet you of course. I seems as though we will be working together in the future," he said with the same smirk as his father.

"Absolutely, Sir. I am so grateful to be allowed to work with you," I replied. I knew I was laying it on thick, but I wanted to butter him up a little bit. Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Yes?" Mr. Malfoy said in an annoyed tone. The door opened, and a man stepped in. I assumed he was a butler of some kind.

"Sir, dinner is served," said the man, before bowing slightly, and leaving. The Malfoys got up and walked out of the room. I followed them into a dining room. There was a long, wooden table, which would be better suited for a party of twenty. The four of us sat at the very end, with Mr. Malfoy at the head of the table. Four butlers came out and placed plates in front of us. The food smelled ok I guess, but it was definitely not what I was used to. I ate it though, just to be polite. Dinner was a silent event. The only sounds were of forks hitting the glass plates.

"One of the servants will show you to your room," Mr. Malfoy told me. I thanked him, and said good night to everyone before being taken away by the man that had told us dinner was being served. He lead me to a large room, with a four poster bed. My bags had been brought up here already. I changed into my pyjamas and got into bed, since there was nothing else to do.

I felt a little bit sick to my stomach. I knew that it was necessary for me to be here, but I was beginning to see that this was going to be a difficult job. It took me a while to fall asleep. I was too busy mentally preparing myself for the next day. Finally, after what seemed like hours I managed to fall into a restless slumber.


	28. Chapter 28

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**Avery POV **

The next morning, I got up bright and early...not by choice though. There were a series of explosions that came from down the hallway. I was startled awake and jumped out of bed. I instinctively grabbed my wand and looked around to assess the scene. It took me a moment to realize what was going on, as I was still a little bit disoriented from sleep.

When I did look around I saw Hermione and Ginny sitting on the bed, looking up at me with startled expressions.

"What's going on?" I asked groggily.

"Fred and George must be testing out some new products," Ginny told me before she and Hermione burst out laughing. I must have looked a little bit ridiculous, with my wand pointing at them and what I assumed was an especially bad bedhead. I put my wand down and sat back down on my bed.

"Very funny guys! What time is it?" I asked.

"It's almost eleven! Mrs. Weasley came in and tried to wake you up, but you were dead asleep," Hermione replied. I felt bad. I hated being a bad guest in someone else's house, especially the Weasleys. I decided that it was time to get out of bed. I took some clothes into the bathroom and got ready for the day. After a quick shower, I felt a lot more awake. After getting ready I decided to go downstairs to apologize to Mrs. Weasley and see if I could help with lunch.

"Hey Mrs. Weasley," I said, as I walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning, dear," she said cheerfully.

"I'm sorry I didn't get up this morning. I just haven't been sleeping too well," I admitted.

"Don't worry dear! I understand. I saved you some food if you want, or you can just wait for lunch," she told me.

"No, it's alright. I'll just wait. Can I help you with lunch?" I asked.

"Sure! That would be very helpful. Here, you can peel these potatoes," she said, passing over a tub of potatoes. I took the peeler and began. While we were working, Mrs. Weasley started asking me about school, and quidditch.

"And quidditch is going well?" she asked me.

"It's going great! We won our last game against Slytherin!" I exclaimed.

"That's good to hear. Ron told me about that game. He also told me about that kiss... between you and Harry," she said. I was going to kick Ron's ass.

"Oh... he told you about that?" I said, embarrassed.

"Yes he did. So are you and Harry dating now?" she asked, with a smile. I couldn't help but smile back, and I definitely blushed a little bit.

"Yeah. We're dating," I admitted. It was kind of nice talking to Mrs. Weasley. It was like talking to my mom. Since I had lost my mom so many years ago, I had never really gotten the chance to talk to my own mom about boys.

"I'm glad to hear that. I always knew it would happen eventually," told me.

"Really? How did you know?" I asked curiously.

"I don't know. I just knew. It's obvious that you were meant to be together," she said nonchalantly.

"Obvious?" I said confused.

"It's the way that he looks at you. I knew that you two would end up together. I thought it would happen sooner," she said. I could feel my cheeks heating up. She probably saw my embarrassment, so she changed the subject to my Element lessons with Dumbledore.

I told her about what we had been doing, and about the new things that I had learned. She was really interested. She even asked me to demonstrate, so I grew her a small rose in the palm of my hand and handed it to her. She seemed so excited about my power.

"If you want, I can pant some flowers in the garden?" I offered.

"That would be lovely, dear!" She said, with excitement. After I had finished peeling the potatoes, she told me to go back to my friends while she finished cooking.

After lunch, Mrs. Weasley recruited all of us to help decorate the house. It was such a fun afternoon. We put up the giant Christmas tree, and put on all the decorations. We hung up decorations all over the house. I went outside and grew a bunch of poinsettias (Christmas flowers) and made a small wreath that hung up in the living room. I also grew a sprig of mistletoe in the entrance to the living room. Mr. and were the first to be caught by the mistletoe. We all laughed, when a very red Mr. Weasley kissed his wife.

I had really put it up, in the hopes that Ron and Hermione would get caught under it! Maybe that would force them to get their acts together and finally tell each other they liked each other! We spent the rest of the day just hanging out. We played quidditch for a little bit. It took me almost an hour to convince Hermione to come out and play with us, because she wanted to start her holiday O.W.L. studying. Finally she begrudgingly came outside. She even played chaser for a few minutes, before getting bored and opting to just cheer us on.

It turned out to be a fun day. sent us to bed early that night, because the next day was Christmas day, and we would be waking up early to open presents! I was really excited about tomorrow, so it took me even longer to fall asleep.

**Ben POV**

The next day was... interesting. Not good in any way, but interesting. I was awoken early the next morning by a butler.

"Sir, Mr. Malfoy requests your presence in the sitting room immediately," he said before turning on his heel and leaving me to get ready. I decided that I best not keep Malfoy waiting, so I threw on some clothes and hurried downstairs. I knocked at the opened door to announce my presence. There was a chair that was facing away from me, so I couldn't see the person sitting there.

A hand gestured for me to sit down. I took the a seat and looked over at Mr. Malfoy. At least I had been expecting Mr. Malfoy. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Instead, beside me was Voldemort himself. I jumped in surprise. He just smirked at my response.

Dumbledore had prepared me for this meeting. I was surprised that it was happening so soon, but I had known that it was coming so I kept my cool. I bowed my head slightly.

"My Lord," I said as Dumbledore had instructed me.

"Mr. Lewis," he replied, in a low, raspy voice. "I have talked to Lucius, and he has told me your wishes to join my side... to fight against Harry Potter," he stated.

"Yes, my Lord. I want to help you defeat Potter," I replied. I allowed disgust to colour my tone when I said Harry's name.

"I know much about you, Benjamin," he said quietly. "I know about your powers. They would be greatly advantageous for us."

"I am glad to help, my Lord," I responded. I was starting to feel a little bit relieved. My pounding heard started to slow down a little bit.

"Do you have any information that could be of some use to me?" he asked me. I assumed he was asking whether I knew of any Order plans. Dumbledore had provided me with a list of various pieces of information that I could give Voldemort.

"Dumbledore was not happy about the attack on the castle. He was added more patrols around the castle grounds. Order members and well as the teachers," I explained. He didn't look particularly impressed.

"I was aware of the increase in security around the castle. Maybe you will think of better information after you've had some time to... think," he said. I nodded.

"I want you to tell me about your powers," he told me. I hesitated for a moment. It made me really nervous to tell him what I was able to do. Dumbledore had instructed me to only give Voldemort a taste of what I was able to do. I was only to show him the more basic things that I could do, so if I was ever forced to fight against my own side, I wouldn't be expected to use my more dangerous skills.

"Yes my Lord. What can I tell you?" I asked finally.

"Show me..." he demanded. I hadn't been expecting to have to do a demonstration right here, but I knew I couldn't refuse. I held out my hand, palm up in front of Voldemort. I created a small flame in the centre of my palm, and forced it to grow, and engulf my hand in flames. Voldemort didn't react like any normal person would. Most people would be startled or jump, or something! Voldemort just changed his cold smirk to an expression of mild amusement. There was something behind the amusement though. It was excitement. He was probably thinking about all the ways that I would be of use in in a battle. I extinguished the fire on my hand, though it kept smoking for a few seconds.

"Very good. You will be useful to us in a fight," he said with an approving tone.

"Of course, my Lord," I said.

"You are making the right decision, Benjamin," he told me.

"I know that. I can't wait to see Potter dead," I said vengefully. I threw in my new trademark smirk. With a nod of his head, I knew that I had been dismissed. I bowed slightly, and left the room. I went back to my room.

Though it was still early in the morning, I lay down in bed. This Christmas holiday was shaping up to be boring and lonely. I couldn't help but think about Ava and everyone else. They must have been having such a good time. I couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous... here I was stuck in the Malfoy's lair while everyone else was having fun and being with their family.

I couldn't blame anyone except myself though. I had gotten myself into this mess, so I had no choice by to get myself out of it. Hopefully tomorrow would be better! It was Christmas after all! Even the Malfoys would have to smile tomorrow! I spent the better part of my day in my room. Later in the afternoon, Draco knocked on my door and asked me if I wanted a game of chess. It was better than sitting in my room and staring at the ceiling, so I agreed. He was really bad at chess, but I didn't want to deal with him bitching, so I just went easy on him and even let him win a game.

FINALLY, after the longest day of my life, it was late enough that I could justify going to bed. I said goodnight and locked myself in my room. Instead of going to sleep right away, I pulled out a book and read for a bit. It was the most fun I had all day... I ended up falling asleep on top of my book.


	29. Chapter 29

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**NOTE: PLEASE BE AWARE THAT I CHANGED THE RATING FROM T to M. Just to be safe. I'm not exactly sure what exactly each of the ratings mean (though I have looked at the guide). There's obviously not going to be anything explicit or vulgar! Sorry if this makes anybody uncomfortable!**

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><p>"Wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!" I heard. I slowly opened my tired eyes to see Fred and George sitting at the edge of my bed, staring at me expectantly.<p>

"Morning boys," I said, rolling over and closing my eyes again.

"Avery. Wake up immediately! Mum says we have to wait for you to open presents," said George. I let out an exaggerated sigh and heaved myself out of bed. I went to the bathroom quickly to wash the sleep out of my eyes and then went downstairs with the twins.

Everyone was gathered around the tree, except Mrs. Weasley, who was passing around mugs of steaming hot chocolate. Everyone was clad in their most christmas-y pyjamas, and were sporting some interesting bedheads. Ron's was probably the worst. His red hair was standing up in every direction. It almost made me laugh, but instead I just took a seat beside Harry. He gave me a quick kiss.

"Merry Christmas," he whispered.

"Merry Christmas, Harry," I said, linking my hand with his. I glanced over at Hermione, who was giving me a very smug look. I just playfully stuck my tongue out at her,

"Alright, everyone. Who would like to pass out the presents?" Asked Mr. Weasley. Nobody volunteered immediately.

"I'll do it, Mr. Weasley," I offered, untangling my hand from Harry's and getting up. I went over to the enormous tree and started to pull out packages.

"This first one is for Ron, from Hermione," I said, passing him the present. He ripped off the paper and pulled out a wooden box. Inside the box was a bunch of quidditch accessories, including a new pair of leather gloves, broom polish and bristle trimmers.

"Wow.. thank's Hermione," he said.

"No problem, I thought that since you were on the team now you could use these," she said, with a slight blush. I went on and passed out the rest of the gifts. Everyone seemed really happy with the stuff they had gotten this year. I think Mr. Weasley was the most excited of everyone. I had showed him how to set up the game, and he had not looked away from it since.

I had left out Harry's gift. I decided that I would give it to him when we had a moment alone, because it was a pretty personal gift. I hadn't gotten a gift from him either, so I figured that he had the same idea as I did.

I had gotten some really sweet gifts though. Fred and George had gotten me a basket of prototypes of Weasley Wizard Wheeze's products (which they gave to me when Mrs. Weasley had gone to get refills of hot chocolate). Ron gave me a large bag of honeyduke's candy. Hermione, obviously, gave me a book. It was a really interesting one though. It was about the four Elements and the history. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley gave me a newly knit sweater with an A on the front. Ginny got me a gorgeous green hair barrette, which she said would really go with my Element necklace. Bill gave me a set of fang earrings that matched his, which I immediately put on. Charlie, gave me a new pair of dragonhide gloves. Needless to say, I was really happy right now. Now, I just had to wait for the perfect moment to give Harry his present. I was a little bit nervous to give him my gift. I was worried that it would be too small, but I knew that Harry would appreciate it.

Finally, my moment came. Everyone one was busy fooling around with their gifts, or getting lunch ready, so nobody noticed when I told Harry to come upstairs to my room in ten minutes. I went upstairs quickly and pulled out his gift. While I was waiting I went and brushed my teeth and put on some fresh clothes. Then, there was a knock at my door, and Harry walked in.

"Hey, Harry," I said, closing the door behind him. I motioned for him to sit on my cot beside me. When he was sitting next to me, I passed over the wrapped gift to him.

"Thanks," he said, accepting the package. He ripped off the paper and pulled out the scrapbook He started looking through the pages of pictures, and I could see a small smile forming on his lips. I just sat beside him, allowing him to look through the pages. As he approached the end, I saw him look away from me, and discreetly brush a tear off his face. I didn't call attention to it, because I didn't want to embarrass him or anything, so I just waited for him to say something.

"Thank you, Ava. You have no idea how much this means to me," he whispered.

"No problem. I just thought that with everything that is happening... with the war I mean... it would just be a good thing to have," I explained. He just nodded silently. He reached over, and placed his hand on my cheek. I leaned in and pressed my lips on his. I could tell that Harry was He gently stroked my cheek. He pulled away after a few seconds.

"I have something for you as well," he said. He handed me a small wrapped package. I pulled off the paper to reveal a velvet jewellery box. I opened it, and looked inside. I was startled by what I saw. It was a ring... a silver ring with a green stone. It looked a little bit like an engagement ring...

"Harry, what is this?" I asked quietly. He saw the shocked look on my face and laughed softly.

"It's not an engagement ring, Ava," he told me. "It's a promise ring. I was hoping you would wear it," he said.

"A promise ring?" I asked.

"I want you to know... no matter what happens that I am always here for you. That is my promise to you," he said. I guess it was my turn to cry now, because I felt my eyes fill with tears. Harry had never really been the type of person to wear his heart on his sleeve, so this was completely unexpected. I felt a tear leave my eye and run down my cheek. Harry gently wiped it away.

"I love you, Harry," I whispered.

"I love you, too," he replied. I slipped the ring on my finger. He waited for me to examine the ring for a moment, before moving closer to me and kissing me again. I locked my hands around his waste, and deepened the kiss further. He parted my lips with his tongue. I let my hands wander over his chest, which was muscular under his shirt from the years of quidditch. We must have been getting a little bit carried away, because Harry's shirt was completely unbuttoned

"Ava! Mrs. Weasley says that breakfast is..." Hermione's voice trailed off when she saw what she had walked in on. Harry jumped away from me, and turned bright red with embarrassed.

"Hmm... never mind," She said with a smirk and quickly left the room, shutting the door behind her. As soon as Hermione had left we burst out laughing. I buried my head in Harry's shoulder.

"We've been caught red handed, Harry," I laughed. Harry began buttoning his shirt up.

"I guess we were. At least it was only Hermione," he told me.

"Yeah, that's true. We should probably go downstairs for breakfast" I said with a sigh. I glanced in the mirror to make sure I didn't look like I had just been caught making out with my boyfriend. Nope... I didn't think they would guess.

We hurried downstairs, and took two empty seats at the table. Everyone was talking and joking loudly, so nobody really paid us any attention. Hermione, however, was fighting to hold back her smirk. I just gave her a 'not now' kind of look, and she managed to settle down. I could hardly wait for later that night when Hermione had a chance to tease me about earlier. Thankfully that time didn't come until later that night.

"I'm sorry about earlier today, Ava," Hermione apologized when we had a free moment. Everyone else had decided to play a game of quidditch, but I didn't really feel like it right now.

"No worries, Hermione," I told her. We were sitting on the sofas in the abandoned living room.

"So, you and Harry are getting serious, huh?" she asked me. Here we go...

"Yeah, I guess so," I told her. I hesitated for a second, but then decided to tell her. "I told him I love him today." Hermione squeaked in response.

"I can't believe it! I'm so happy for you!" She cried.

"Quiet, Hermione! I don't want everyone to hear!" I hissed., and she clamped her hand over her mouth.

"Sorry," she mouthed.

"So, any news you have to share with me? About a certain redheaded, quidditch playing friend of ours?" I asked her. She wrinkled her nose.

"No. No news for you," she told me.

"You could maybe walk under the mistletoe... then you won't even have to make a move," I suggested.

"Was that your plan all along?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"Maybe. I'm not admitting anything," I laughed.

We spent the rest of the day with some of the Order members that came over to have Christmas dinner with us. Even Athena showed up later that afternoon!

Overall, it was a great day! There was only one thing that was nagging me that day. I couldn't help but think about Ben's Christmas, and how he probably wasn't having any fun at all.

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><p><strong>Ben POV<strong>

Christmas was a bleak event, though it was probably the most lavish one I had ever had. In the morning, after everyone had gotten ready, Draco and I were invited downstairs to open presents. The Malfoys like to flaunt their wealth, so they got me an unexpectedly large pile of gifts. They were all really nice I felt a little bit weird accepting the items. They all screamed Death Eater, so I knew that I wouldn't be able to use any of this stuff without making some people suspicious.

I gave the Malfoys the gifts I had gotten them. They thanked me, though I could tell that none of them were particularly impressed by the items. After the uncomfortable gift session we all parted ways. I went back to my room and started some of my holiday homework.

Eventually, a butler informed me that I was to get ready for the Christmas party tonight. I was told to wear dress robes. I hadn't brought any, but luckily the Malfoys had given me a set for Christmas. At least I would fit it with their... friends.

I spent the night pretending to have a good time, and laugh at all of their incredibly offensive jokes. One thing that I can tell you is that Death Eaters aren't really that interesting. All they ever talk about is how much they hate muggles. So I just laughed along with them.

After the firewhisky had been broken out, everyone was intoxicated enough that I was able to slip away. I had realized that I hadn't opened Ava's gift yet. I went back up to my room and shut the door. I pulled the present out of my bag and tore off the paper. Inside was a glass case, that contained a red glass rose.

There was a note that was attached to the case:

_I thought I would give you a small piece of the Earth. Merry , Ava. _

I folded up the note carefully and tucked it back into my bag. I placed the glass case on my nightstand. I knew that I wasn't going to be going back downstairs tonight, so I took off the uncomfortable dress robes and changed into comfortable sweatpants, before magically extinguishing the lights and curling up in bed.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! :) Sorry if this was... cheesy or predictable or whatever... but sometimes things just have to get a little bit cheesy and predictable, right? Hope you enjoyed it though. Also, if you didn't read at the top... I changed the rating to M, but this is as "M" as it's gonna get!<strong>


	30. Chapter 30

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p><strong>Hermione POV<strong>

Everyone had decided to go and play quidditch, but I knew that I really had to study for the O.W.L.s. I mean, they were in four months! That was barely any time at all to study. I had slacked off this entire holiday too! I had only done about two hours of studying a day. I was starting to panic a little bit.

I sat in the empty living room with my books scattered all around me. Currently, I was translating a passage of ancient runes. It was tricky work, so I was deep in concentration. Then I heard a noise behind me. I whipped around and saw that Ron had come in. He was sweaty from playing quidditch, and he had his broom slung over his shoulder.

"Hey, Hermione," he said, collapsing next to me on the couch. I moved my books and papers out of the way to give him space to sit.

"Hey, Ron. Why aren't you playing quidditch?" I asked.

"Got tired. I wanted to come in and hang out with you for a bit," he explained.

"Hang out with me? What for? I'm just studying," I told him. I just couldn't stop myself from asking thought I was screaming to myself to be happy that I could have some time alone with Ron.

"Well, I figured that you could use a break as well," said Ron.

"Oh fine," I said, with a mock-annoyed sigh. I closed up my books and set them aside.

"I don't understand how you can study! It's the holidays after all!" he said, shaking his head at me.

"If you studied this much, you would be getting better grades," I muttered despite myself.

"Well, if I studied this much I would also be really boring," he commented. Even though I knew that Ron didn't mean it maliciously, it still stung.

"Well, if that's what you think of me, why did you come in here to hang out with me!" I cried. I got up and started stomping away. I heard footsteps come up behind me, and Ron lightly grabbed my arm before I could leave the room. I turned around to look at him, his hand still holding my arm.

"Hermione, you know that I didn't mean it like that. I obviously don't think you're boring," he said, giving me a small, apologetic smile.

"Then why would you say that?" I asked.

"Hermione, you've known me for almost five years now! You know I say stupid things now and then," he laughed. I let my angry frown be replaced by a tiny smile.

"I guess you're right. Sorry I snapped at you," I told him. He just smiled in response. We were standing in the entrance to the living room. Suddenly something occurred to me. I glanced up at the ceiling and saw the mistletoe that Ava had hung up. Ron followed my gaze upwards and saw the sprig too.

"Oh..." was all he said. He quickly dropped my arm, to my disappointment.

"We don't have to..." I said though I was seriously crossing my fingers that he would want to.

"I mean, if you don't want to...," he muttered.

"No, I don't mind," I said, with a slight tremble in my voice. I heard Ron inhale softly, before reaching out and taking my hand in his. I shivered a little bit when the chills ran up my spine. With his other hand he brushed a piece of hair out of my face. Then slowly, he leaned closer to me. He hesitated for a moment before touching his lips to mine. His lips were so gentle on my own... like he was scared that I was going to be uncomfortable or something. I couldn't help myself at this point.

I pulled him closer to me and pressed my lips harder. He seemed to take the cue, and deepened the kiss further. I was soon breathless, and was forced to break away. I didn't pull away from him though. I continued to stand there in our embrace, with him staring into my eyes. He was looking at me kind of expectantly – like he wanted me to make the next move.

"That was..." I didn't know what the right word was. Amazing? Wonderful? But I was speechless. He took this as a good sign and his worried face lit up with a smile.

"...perfect," he finished for me. It was my turn to smile now.

"Can I tell you something?" He said quietly. I just nodded in response. "I've been waiting for nearly five years to do that."

"Really?" was all that came out.

"Really," he confirmed.

"I've wanted to do that too. I wasn't sure how you would react thought," I admitted.

"Hermione, obviously I would be thrilled if a beautiful girl kissed me!" he sighed dramatically.

"Laying it on a little bit thick there, Ron," I joked. He laughed. Then he leaned over to give me another quick peck which I happily returned.

"Now I should probably go back out there. I really lied and told them I was going to the bathroom," he said.

"Go then!" I told him, laughing at him on his way out. I was definitely not in the mood to study right now, so I just collapsed onto the couch and relived what had just happened a couple of times. I would have to tell Ava that her brilliant plan had worked!

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><p><strong>Avery POV<strong>

Too soon, the last day of the Christmas holiday had arrived. I reluctantly started packing up my crap, which had some how managed to end up all over Ginny's room. Oops... While I was searching for a missing sock, I noticed a package under my bed. I lay flat on the ground and stretched to reach the present. Finally after much struggling, I managed to grasp it.

There was no name on the front of the package, so I had no idea who it was from. I tore off the paper. Inside was a box. When I lifted the lid, I saw two glass phials. One had a label that said _Draught of Peace _and the other was labelled with _Felix Felicis_. To the lid of the box had a note spello-taped to it. I pulled off the note.

_ Dear Ava,_

_ This is my gift to you. I made the Draught of Peace, because I know how stressed out you've been lately. I thought that this could help you with the stress, as well as with the control of your powers. As for the Felix Felicis, I figured that everyone can do with a bit of luck sometimes. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. _

_ All my love,_

_ Ben_

I reread the note. I had always known that Ben had a talent for potions, but this was seriously unexpected. I'm sure he had to sneak into Snape's private stash to find the ingredients for these potions! I had heard of the Draught of Peace before. Madam Pomfrey had a stash in the hospital wing every year for students taking the O.W.L.s and the N.E.W.T.s. It made the drinker feel calm and at peace (as the name suggested). It was definitely something that would help me. I was the biggest worrier that I knew.

As for the Felix Felicis, I had never heard of it. Ben mentioned something about luck, so I assumed that it gave the drinker good luck, but I decided that before I tried it out, it would be best to ask Hermione about it. I carefully placed the potions back in the box and wrapped it in a thick sweater to cushion it on the journey back to Hogwarts. I quickly shoved the rest of my stuff into my bag and went downstairs.

Tonight was the last night that we would be spending at the Burrow, before starting the new term at Hogwarts. Tonight, it was just us for dinner. Mrs. Weasley said that she wanted to spend time with her family. I was really touched that Mrs. Weasley considered me, Hermione and Harry to be family. I was going to miss her... and the rest of the Weasleys. I hardly saw my grandmother or my brother anymore, so the Weasleys were, for all intents and purposes, my adoptive family.

After a really nice dinner, we were sent to bed. We were leaving for the train early the next morning and we needed a good night's sleep. I took a tiny sip of my sleeping potion that I brought with me, and was knocked out within minutes.

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><p>"Ava, it's time to get up! We have to leave soon," said Ginny. I dragged myself out of bed, and started getting ready, though I was actually half asleep. Once I had finished getting ready, I recruited Harry's help to get my bags downstairs. We had a rushed breakfast before several Ministry cars arrived to take us to King's Cross Station.<p>

Through the barrier we went, and there was the Hogwarts Express. I heaved my stuff onto the train and the group of us went to find an empty compartment. Before we had found one, Fred and George decided to split off and join their own friends. We finally found an empty compartment. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and I went inside and closed the door.

Shortly after, Ron and Hermione had to leave for a few minutes to do some prefect duties. Ginny also decided to leave and find her friends. That just left Harry and I alone. I cuddled up next to him.

"Harry! I don't want to go back," I whined. He ruffled my hair.

"Don't worry! It'll be fine. At least we don't have any exams for a while, right?" he offered.

"But then we have the O.W.L.s! This sucks!" I cried. My little outburst was clearly amusing to Harry, because he burst out laughing.

"Oh relax! You're going to do well! Your marks are nearly as good as Hermione's!" He exclaimed.

"Whatever! I barely did any studying this entire holiday!" I lamented.

"Well you know that Hermione has set up schedule. Just study with her and it'll all be perfectly fine!" He suggested. I just shrugged. Just then there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," I called over. The door opened and Ben walked in. He was wearing smart looking robes. It looked exactly like something that Draco Malfoy would wear. The most startling thing though, was the expression Ben was wearing. It was the same smirk I had seen on Malfoy's face many times before...

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! :D<strong>


	31. Chapter 31

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related.**_

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><p>"Ben!" I exclaimed. He closed the door behind him and his whole expression changed to one of relief. He smiled broadly at us.<p>

"Ava! Harry! Thank goodness!" He said, as I leaped up to give him a giant hug.

"Ben! How are you doing? Was it alright?" I asked, as he took a seat across from Harry and I.

"It was terrible. I spent most of my time in my room! They are so boring!" he exclaimed.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said.

"And I met Voldemort," he signed. When he said this, Harry sat up straighter.

"You saw him? What did he say? What was he like?" Harry asked.

"He was... very convincing. He made me show him my power," he told us.

"What? What did you show him?" I cried.

"Nothing too important. I just lit my hand on fire," he assured me.

"Oh, alright. As long as you didn't show him too much it's not a big deal I guess," I sighed.

"Wait, so tell me more about Voldemort. What did he say?" Harry demanded.

"He asked me to tell him about Dumbledore's plans. I only told him what Dumbledore told me to tell him. I just said about the extra security measures that were being added to the castle. That's all. He also said that he really wanted to use my powers. He said that I would be useful in a fight," he explained.

"Well, I'm glad you're alright. What about the Malfoys? Were they nice to you?" I asked.

"They were generous, I suppose. But all they talked about was how much they hated muggles. I just smiled and nodded for the most part," Ben told us.

"I'm sorry. It just sucks that you had to do that. But it was for a good cause right?" I asked.

"Yeah. That's what I had to keep telling myself. They invited a bunch of their Death Eater friends over on Christmas day. They aren't very interesting at all. I got so tired of hearing them talk about muggles that I managed to escape to my room. I just couldn't listen to their nonsense anymore," he said.

"Well, it's over now! Now you get to ignore Malfoy for a while!" I said, trying to find any shred of hope left in the situation.

"Yup! Looking forward to that! So, how was your Christmas?" He asked.

"It was alright," I said. I didn't want to tell him how great it was because I didn't want him to feel bad. "Some of the Order Members came over. It was pretty fun! We didn't do much else. Hermione was on my case the entire time to study for the O.W.L.s."

"Ah.. why does that not surprise me? I bet Hermione had her nose buried in a book the entire time?" He joked.

"I did not!" said Hermione, as she stepped into the compartment, with Ron following close behind her.

"Hello Hermione! Hey Ron!" Ben said, getting up to give Hermione a hug, and to shake Ron's hand.

"Hey Ben! How are you doing?" Hermione asked. He quickly caught her and Ron up on his time with the Malfoys.

"I'm glad it wasn't too terrible. I was worried about you," Hermione admitted.

"No! I'm alright! Don't worry about me," he assured her.

"How was the prefect meeting? It took longer than I expected," I asked her and Ron. They glanced at each other for a second, before Hermione answered.

"It was fine. We just had to take a patrol shift. We have another shift in a couple of hours so we'll have to leave soon," she said. There was something fishy about her excuse. I glanced over at Ron because I figured that he was much easier to break than Hermione. His entire face was beet red. I stared at him suspiciously for a few seconds before looking back over at Hermione.

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><p><strong>Hermione POV<strong>

Once we were on the train, Ron and I had to excuse ourselves to go to our prefect meeting. It was boring. We just arranged a patrol schedule quickly, and were dismissed. Ron and I had a patrol shift in a few hours. We left the front compartment that we had our meeting in, and began making our way to the other end of the train to our own compartment.

The corridor was pretty much abandoned. As we were walking, I felt Ron's hand slip into my own. I gripped his hand tightly.

"Hermione, come with me for a second," Ron said, quietly. He pulled he down the corridor to a set of bathrooms. He glanced around to make sure that nobody saw us, and then pulled me in, locking the door behind him.

"Ron! What are you doing?" I hissed. Instead of answering my question, he showed me. He pushed my against the door, and pressed his lips forcefully to mine, surprising me. He wasn't hurting me or anything though. On the contrary, he was gently stroking my face as he kissed me. After a couple of minutes of snogging, he pulled away.

"Sorry, Hermione. I just couldn't stop thinking about doing that," he told me.

"Ron, just shut up and kiss me," I whispered, pulling him to me. Of course he didn't object to this. After a few more minutes, we separated again.

"Ron, they're going to get suspicious if we take too long!" I said.

"I know. Do you want to head back?" he asked me.

"Well, not particularly, but maybe we should," I said, but I pulled him to me again. So much for not making the others suspicious I guess... After a minute or two more, I pushed him away again.

"Ok, this time I'm serious. Let's go," I said. I quickly checked my reflection in the mirror. Apart for being a little bit flushed, I didn't look like I had been snogging Ron for the last twenty minutes. I opened the door and peeked out. The coast was clear, so we snuck out and continued back to compartment. When we arrived, Ben had joined Ava and Harry.

"...I bet Hermione had her nose buried in a book the entire time," said Ben.

"I did not!" I objected. We sat down and asked him about his time at the Malfoy Manor. I wasn't surprised when he told us that it wasn't particularly pleasant.

"How was the prefect meeting? It took longer than I expected," Ava commented. I glanced at Ron, who had turned bright red. That kid was going to going to get us caught.

""It was fine. We just had to take a patrol shift. We have another shift in a couple of hours so we'll have to leave soon," I told them. Ava gave me a searching look. Like she knew I was lying. She also gave Ron the same searching look, but she gave up and changed the subject.

I started to understand why Ava and Harry had snuck around for such a long time. It was kinda fun. I was definitely going to tell Ava about the Ron thing though. I knew that I would need her advice at some point. I was pretty sure Ron would tell Harry too.

For now thought, it was kinda fun just keeping it our little secret!

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><p><strong>Avery POV<strong>

We got off the train and got into a carriage. Soon we were approaching Hogwarts. Even though I got to see the castle everyday, it still took my breath away. It was nice to be home, even though I had complained about coming back here to Harry.

When the carriage stopped in front of the castle, we all walked across the grassy grounds, into the Great Hall. The tables were set for the big welcome back feast. After everyone was settled, Dumbledore walked up to the front of the Hall.

"Welcome back," he started, "I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing winter holiday. Just a few announcements before we eat. Just a warning to those of you that are prone to wandering the castle and grounds, there will be extra security patrols that will be taking place. Please do not get caught out of bed after curfew," he said. I could have sworn that his eyes lingered on me for a moment. I guess I deserved that. I did have a bad habit of being out of bed at night.

"Now, enjoy the feast," he said and with a wave of his hands the dishes in front of us filled with copious amounts of delicious food. We all happily tucked in. Once everyone's plate had been cleaned, we slowly left the Great Hall to go to the common room. I was so full that I waddled more than I actually walked.

Hermione muttered the password and we entered, plopping down on our favourite spot on the couch, along with a few other Gryffindors. Everyone was telling each other about their holiday. I was feeling so full that I didn't bother to make the effort to find out how everyone was doing. Instead I just sat quietly beside Ben.

"Oh, thanks for the Christmas gift Ben!" I remembered.

"You liked it? I'm really glad. I wasn't sure what to get you, so I figured I could make you something," Ben told me.

"Well, I loved it! Tell me, what exactly is Felix Felicis?" I asked.

"Well, an entire gulp will bring the drinker luck for the day. If you just take a small sip, it should just give you an hour. You've got about three days' worth of luck in that bottle," he explained.

"Wow! How did you manage to get all the stuff?" I asked curiously.

"Well, let's just say we have a certain potion's master to thank for that," he laughed.

"Ah, private stash. Got it!" I laughed.

"By the way, thanks for the rose. It was a really thoughtful gift," said Ben.

"No problem! I just wanted to give you something really personal! Oh, speaking of Christmas gifts, there's something you should read! Hermione got me this book all about the Elements, and the history and their powers! I haven't really had a lot of time to read it, but just from glancing through it looks really interesting!" I told him.

"Cool! Lend it to me once you're done with i!" he agreed. We chatting for a while more about the holidays, and our upcoming classes. Sometime during that conversation though, I fell asleep on Ben's shoulder. In the middle of the night, I woke up and to my surprise, I was in my bed. I have no idea how they managed to get me up here, but I gladly snuggled down into my comfy blankets and fell back asleep.


	32. Chapter 32

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>I was sitting in my room, doing a practice test that Hermione had made for me. I was currently struggling with the History of Magic portion of the test. That was, by far, my worst subject. Apparently I had snoozed through one too many classes.<p>

_Explain the history of legislation surrounding werewolf rights._

As I sat there racking my brain, there was a tap at my window. I looked outside and saw a small tawny own perched on my windowsill. I wrenched open the window and allowed her to fly inside. She had a letter tied to her leg. The letter had the Hogwarts seal imprinted on it, so I assumed it was coming from Dumbledore. It turns out that my assumption was correct.

_Please come to my office at 8pm tonight. Thank you._

_ Albus Dumbledore_

I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only 7:30pm so I had a little bit of time before I had to head out. I turned my attention to back to the practice test in front of me. Even though everyone was acting very unconcerned about the O.W.L.s that were less than four months away, I was starting to get worried. It was probably from all the years of hanging out with Hermione. I was starting to see how much work I really had to do.

Harry and Ron had notice that Hermione and I had become a little more crazy than usual, and had opted to just pretend to study with us to avoid being scolded by Hermione. Hermione was even more stressed than I was. Even minute that she didn't spend on class, meals or "prefect duties" were spent on O.W.L. studying. Her panic was making me feel worse too. Even though we had only been back for a couple of weeks I had still managed to have several panic attacks.

I found out that Ben's Draught of Peace potion was extremely useful in this case. I had even offered it to Hermione, but she declined every time. She had seemed very impressed by Ben's gift to me though. He examined both of the potions in excitement. After discovering Ben's talent for potions she had started a bad habit of running up to him and asking him questions every few minutes. Ben was too nice to say anything though, so he just patiently explained anything that Hermione asked him.

Apart from studying though, Hermione seemed to be doing pretty well. After the welcome back feast on the first night back, Hermione had pulled me aside.

"Ava, can I talk to you for a minute?" she had said. I followed her to our dorm room. She had made sure that the room was empty before shutting the door and locking it behind her.

"Hermione, what is going on?" I asked her, concerned by her unexpected behaviour.

"Ava, I have to tell you something," she said nervously. I just nodded at her encouragingly.

"Ron and I are... sort of... together I guess. Well, maybe together isn't the right word," she said. I squeaked loudly in excitement.

"HERMIONE GRANGER! Since when?" I demanded.

"Well, I don't know. Since the holidays I suppose. Do you remember that day when everyone was playing quidditch and I decided to stay behind and study?" she asked. I vaguely recalled that, because it happened so often.

"Well, do you remember when Ron disappeared for a few minutes? He said he was going to the bathroom?" She continued. I remembered now, and nodded.

"Well, he actually came inside to sit with me for a few minutes. We started arguing about something, and I started to walk away, but he pulled me back and apologized. It turns out that we were standing under your mistletoe," she explained. My eyes widened with surprise.

"So... yeah... we ended up..." she trailed off.

"So are you officially dating or anything like that?" I asked curiously.

"No, not really. We've just been snogging. That's about it," she explained, as she buried her face in her hands out of embarrassment.

"Hermione, you heartbreaker!" I exclaimed. "I am so proud of you! And I'm so happy for you both!"

"Thanks, Ava. I'm totally starting to understand why you and Harry didn't tell anyone though, for such a long time. It's really fun!" she laughed.

"Yeah it is! But it's also really fun not to have to hide everything," I told her.

"Well, if you're with the right person then of course it will be fun!" She smiled broadly.

"Exactly. But if you don't want to tell anyone for a while, I'll cover for you. Don't worry," I promised. She looked relieved.

"Thanks, Ava," Hermione said. I told her about the Room of Requirements, and how it was the perfect place to go on a date. She and Ron had been hanging out there a lot lately. I could tell that it was really good for Hermione though. The time she spent with Ron when she claimed to be doing her "prefect duties" were the only times when she wasn't panicking about school. And from what she told me, Ron would make such a good boyfriend. I wish they would just get it together and make it official already!

I decided to give up on the practice test, as I was getting nowhere. I would have to get some help from Hermione later on, after the meeting. When I went downstairs, Ben was hanging out on the couch.

"Hey, did you get Dumbledore's note?" he asked me.

"Yup, I was just going to come get you!" I laughed.

"Oh, alright. You want to go now?" He responded cheerfully. He was finally beginning to sound like himself again.

"Yeah, let's go. We're going to be really early though. We'll walk slowly," I suggested. We slowly marched to Dumbledore's office.

"So, Ben. How are you doing? I feel like I've barely talked to you since we got back," I commented.

"Yeah I know. We've all been busy. I'm doing alright I guess. I'm a little bit overwhelmed with everything, to be honest," he admitted.

"Aw, Ben! What is it that's making you feel that way?" I asked.

"I don't know. School... the meetings... Malfoy has been passing me messages from his father. Most of them are asking me for better information than I can give them. It's just a lot of work," he sighed. I felt bad for him. I was so caught up with my own life that I tended to forget what Ben was going through. I wasn't really sure what to say to him to make him feel better. It got me thinking about Hermione. The only thing that was getting her through the stress right now was Ron.

Maybe it was time for Ben to find a girlfriend (not me). I would have to keep an eye out and see if there was any eligible bachelorettes that I could possibly hook him up with.

We approached the stone gargoyle and gave him the password. He stepped aside, allowing us passage. As always we knocked on his office door, and heard a soft 'come in' from inside. We let ourselves in and took our normal seats. Athena was there already there chatting with Dumbledore about her work with McGonagall.

"Ah, Ben and Avery. The reason that I have brought you all here is that I have some exciting news for you all. I have managed to locate the last Element!" He explained.

"Seriously? That's amazing news!" Exclaimed Athena. I was grinning broadly.

"So when are they going to be here?" I asked.

"Well, that is the issue I am having. He doesn't know that he possesses any powers," he said.

"What do you mean?" Ben asked, voicing our confusion.

"He is only ten. He is from a Muggle family, and has never heard of magic before," Dumbledore told us.

"Oh no. So what are you going to do?" I asked.

"Ah, what are we going to do, you mean," he corrected. "I would like to take Ava and Athena with me to talk to him. It may make things easier for him," he said. I glanced at Ben, who had on a disappointed expression.

"What about Ben?" I asked, despite myself.

"Ben has other work that he must attend to here. I intend to keep this Element's identity a secret. In order for him to maintain his cover, as well as protecting the identity of this young man, Ben must stay here. It will look suspicious if he was to disappeared for a day or two. Draco Malfoy would surely send a message to his father as soon as he noticed anything strange," Dumbledore explained. I glanced at Ben again, who was still disappointed but he was also nodding understandingly.

"Alright, so when do we leave Professor?" Athena asked,

"Tomorrow, I think," he decided.

"Uh, Professor, I have a big test tomorrow that I cannot miss," I sighed.

"I have already talked to Professor Flitwick about you missing that test. He was very understanding. You may take that test once you are back," Dumbledore said.

"Oh alright. Thank you Professor Dumbledore," I said. The man thought of everything.

"So where does this boy live?" Ben asked.

"He surprisingly lives relatively close. He is located in England, so we will travel there and explain everything to him and his parents."

"Sounds like a plan!" I exclaimed, excitedly.

"Then it is set. Please come to my office by noon tomorrow and we shall set out on our journey," said Dumbledore. Then, we were dismissed. We said good night and left the office. Athena hurried off to her suite to pack a few essentials, whereas I walked as slowly as I possibly could. Even though I was glad that the other Element was found, and we would finally all be together, I was too busy right now. I definitely didn't have time to think about this type of stuff.

I obviously couldn't say no to Dumbledore. Especially after all that he had done for us. And I knew it would probably be helpful to have Athena and I there to help explain his powers to him. Ben seemed to notice my silence.

"Can you believe it? The last element found?" He said.

"Yeah I guess," I sighed.

"What's the matter?" he asked, seeing through my lame attempt at optimism.

"I'm just a little bit stressed at the moment. This is just another thing I have to think about right now. I do understand why we have to go though," I acknowledged.

"Well, I would love to be able to go with you guys. I think it'll be so cool to meet the little guy," Ben admitted.

"Oh right. Sorry you can't come, but it's not worth blowing everything over I guess, right?" I asked.

"No it isn't. I'm just feeling a little bit bitter right now. That will pass thought," he smiled.

As soon as we got back to the Gryffindor tower, I explained everything to Harry, Ron and Hermione. They seemed really excited that we were going to pick up the new kid. After the brief explanation, I went upstairs and went to bed. I figured I would need to be well rested for tomorrow. I wasn't sure how we would be travelling, though I was pretty sure it wouldn't be through the Floo network. I was sure that Dumbledore's fire was being monitored. That would mean a large amount of walking. Oh boy, was I looking forward to tomorrow...

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! :)<strong>


	33. Chapter 33

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series, or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**Hey, everyone! Sorry I haven't been updating as regularly this week! I'm desperately trying to finish my reread of the HP books before the movie comes out! :D**

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><p>I was up bright and early the next morning. Dumbledore had said that it was look more suspicious if I disappeared halfway through the day, so I was excused from class for the morning. He had talked to all my Professors and let them know that I would be gone for a couple of days. He had concocted a story that my gran was sick and I had to go and visit her, so as not to raise any suspicion. He was always running errands all over the country so I doubted that anyone would be too surprised by his absence. As for Athena's cover story, she had unfortunately been hit by a nasty, contagious case of Vanishing Sickness, and had been rushed to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.<p>

It was all worked out, and we were set to leave at noon today. Unfortunately, Dumbledore felt that it would be too risky to use the Floo Network. After Voldemort's return last year and Dumbledore's outspokenness about it, he was certain that the Ministry was watching his fire. He had also expressed concern about using side-along apparation, because he couldn't risk any muggles seeing us. He had decided that the best way of doing it would be to go to Hogsmeade in a private carriage, with Athena and I under Harry's invisibility cloak. Then, once in Hogsmeade, we could apparate to a safer point. From there, it would be a matter of muggle transportation and walking. I was excited to see how Dumbledore would manage to blend in with the muggles, but I guess I'll see soon!

I had packed only a few essentials in a small bag because it would be difficult to carry too much. Once we had gotten the boy, we would not be able to use any kind of magical transportation until we absolutely had to! It was bound to be a long journey home. His cover ID was the most difficult part of this plan. He was going to be enrolled into Hogwarts as a student. HE wasn't going to be pretending to be a transfer student or anything like that. Instead, he would be sorted and added to whatever house he was meant to be in. Dumbledore had come up with an ingenious idea of how to keep anyone from finding out who he really was. According to the story, he had come down with spattergroit during the first week of the term and had been required to take the first half of the year off. Now, he had recovered and had returned.

This morning, I had said my goodbyes to everyone before they had gone off to class. The only people that knew my true whereabouts were Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ben. They had all wished me luck and then left for the day. Now, I was sitting in the deserted Gryffindor tower, waiting until it was late enough that I could start towards Dumbledore's office.

While I waited, I picked up the book that Hermione had given me for Christmas. It was really interesting. I read about the history of Earth. It talked about the powers that the Earth Element usually had, most of which I had already discovered. Earthquakes were one effective power, as well as the ability to communicate with nature. However, there were a few things that I hadn't heard of before. One of the most interesting was the ability to control things like avalanches and volcanos. I knew there weren't any active volcanos around the area, but the avalanche thing I could use.

I got lost in the book, and spend a good amount of time just sitting in the common room and reading about the other Elements. I looked over at the large clock in the common room and saw that it was later than I expected and I had to leave. I collected my things and threw the invisibility cloak around my shoulders. I couldn't risk anyone seeing me, since I was supposed to be visiting my family at the moment. Before going to Dumbledore's office I went to Athena's room. She had her stuff all ready by her door, so she grabbed it and stepped under the cloak as well, before we continued to the office.

"Lemon drop," I whispered. The gargoyle leapt out of the way and allowed us to enter. Dumbledore was waiting for us when we entered his office.

"Right on time. Now, let's go. We must catch the carriage to Hogsmeade in ten minutes," he declared, as we hurried him out of his office. He was dressed like a muggle in order to blend in. He actually looked pretty convincing, though the beard stood out a little bit. The carriage was already waiting for us, so we loaded into it and took off. The ride was short and silent, and we were taken to a remote looking street that I had never seen before. We exited the carriage, which turned around immediately and went back the way we came. The street was completely empty, except for a few lone cottages, though it didn't look like anyone was home. We hastened to a more secluded location, just incase someone was watching and pulled off the cloak.

"Avery, you must hold my arm firmly. Do not let go or you will end up lost. We will be apparating to a small forest close to where the boy lives. From there, we will have to take a train to the city that the boy lives in. Just concentrate on the forest," he told Athena. I clasped my hand around Dumbledore's arm and concentrated.

Apparation was unpleasant. I didn't care for it much, but it was over before I really had time to think about it. Now, we were standing in a dense forest. There were tiny pinpricks of light that shone through the treetops.

"Now, let us begin our journey," Dumbledore said. We followed close behind him. Upon exiting the forest, I realized that we were in a muggle suburb. We walked briskly for about twenty minutes. I could tell that we were slowly entered a more urban area. The traffic had increase, and I started seeing more and more people walking around us. We entered the train station. Dumbledore placed the coins in the slot and purchased the tickets.

Soon enough, we were in a crowded, smelly train. The journey on the train was interesting, to say the least. I actually was quite amused by the fascinating people we saw. One person began dancing in the middle of the compartment, and then came around with a hat for us to put money in. Unfortunately I only had wizarding money, so I couldn't give him anything. Later on, a fight broke out, thought it was stopped almost immediately.

"Ava, it's time to go," said Dumbledore quietly. I tore myself away from the train, and followed him and Athena onto the platform. It was a lot less crowded here.

"We are very close now. We should be able to reach the house just after school has let out," he confirmed. We started walking. It had suddenly become colder, so I wrapped my thick cloak around my body tighter. I had read in the Element book that the Air Element was able to control the temperature. For a second, I considered asking Athena to fix it up, but I decided that Dumbledore wouldn't like that very much, so I just suffered in silence.

The walk was not long at all. Soon, we were walking down a quiet suburban street. It was rather busy, with parents walking and driving their children home after school. There were a group of rowdy teenage boys that were loudly laughing and joking.

"We are going to number 1432," said Dumbledore. The house was pretty much identical to all the rest of the houses on the street. Dumbledore rapped at the door, and we waited for an answer. Finally, after a couple of minutes, the door swung open and a frazzled looking woman, carrying an infant was standing in front of us.

"Yes?" she asked, distractedly looking behind her.

"Good day, Mrs. Morgan. My name is Albus Dumbledore. I am here to talk to you and your son," he stated clearly.

"Oh no! What did he do now? Are you from the school?" She sighed wearily.

"No, ma'am. Perhaps we should continue the conversation inside," he suggested. She nodded, and stepped aside to allow us to enter the house. We followed her to a tidy sitting room. We could see a table in the kitchen, where a little blond boy was sitting, and eating an after school snack. He seemed completely unconcerned about our presence.

"So, what is this about? Has he gotten into trouble again?" She asked nervously.

"No, nothing like that. I am here to talk to you about your son's future. As I mentioned, my name is Albus Dumbledore, and I am the headmaster at a soon that is well suited to your son," he said.

"Ok..." she said slowly.

"The name of this school is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he stated. The expression on her face rapidly into a look of confusion and fear.

"What are you talking about? Who are you people?" she demanded.

"Mrs. Morgan, your son is a wizard. Your son constantly gets into trouble, and strange things happen to him, am I correct?" said Dumbledore calmly.

"Well, yes. How did you know that/" she asked.

"It is very common for young wizards. He is just like any of us were at his age. He is a very special boy. I would like to take him to Hogwarts, where he will be others like himself and will be able to learn to use his abilities," he explained.

"So, you're a wizard?" she asked, laughing out loud.

"Yes, I am. Allow me to demonstrate," he said. She he said that, the coffee table in front of us began to rise. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"How did you do that?" she cried.

"The same way that your son will learn to levitate things. I can see that you are in shock right now. I find that tea helps a lot when dealing with particularly surprising information. Could I get you a cup?" he asked politely. She just nodded. With a wave of his wand, he conjured four cups, along with a teapot, milk and sugar. He made up a cup for Mrs. Morgan and handed it to her. She took a long gulp and then spoke.

"So, you're saying that my son is a wizard? And that's why he's been getting into so much trouble?" she clarified.

"Yes, that is correct. But, your son isn't just a wizard. He is much more special than that. He is the controller of one of the four elements. He controls the element water. It is an ancient magic that is very rare. It is passed down through generations, so there have been other wizards in your family in the past. This is Avery and this is Athena. They are two other Elements. Avery controls the earth and Athena, the air. Your son's powers are extremely valuable which, unfortunately, will put him into a lot of danger," he stated.

"He's in danger? What do you mean?" She whispered.

"There is a very evil wizard that is going to be searching for your son. The only way to protect him is to allow him to come with me. The only place that he will be able to use his powers to defeat this evil wizard is Hogwarts. If you allow him to come with me, I can teach him to use his powers, and possibly fight the person that is trying to kill him," he finished. Perhaps it was Dumbledore's kind, trustworthy face or his earnest tone, but she nodded. Tears began to roll down her face.

"Adrien, come over here," she called. The little boy came over and sat beside his mother. Explaining to him was a lot easier than convincing his mother. Understanding seemed to wash over his face as Dumbledore explained everything to him. He was very honest and explained everything, including the stuff about Voldemort wanting to kill him, though he did it in manner that didn't scare the poor boy. I couldn't imagine how hard this must be for Mrs. Morgan. The entire time Dumbledore had been explaining everything to Adrien, she had been silently brushing tears off her cheeks.

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><p><strong>Thanks :D <strong>


	34. Chapter 34

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**Hey all! Sorry I've been away for a couple of days! I've been super busy! Hope you enjoy this chapter! :)**

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><p>Adrien, it turned out, was much easier to convince than his mother. He nodded understandingly the entire time Dumbledore was explaining things to him, while he absent-mindedly played with the necklace that hung around his neck. It was identical to mine Athena's and mine, except that the pendant was white in colour. When Dumbledore got to the part about Voldemort's plans for him, Adrien merely stared. Dumbledore was very careful with his words, and was honest without giving him unnecessary, or terrifying information. After everything was explained, Dumbledore asked that Adrien went and packed him things.<p>

Mrs. Morgan and her son went upstairs, while Dumbledore, Athena and I sat quietly in the living room. It took about an hour for them to return to us. I had a sneaky suspicion that Mrs. Morgan was trying to delay the moment that she would have to say goodbye. But alas, that moment came. They said a tearful goodbye, and then we were off.

The chilly wind outside meant that the quiet suburban street remained empty, allowing us to escape the prying eyes of the neighbours. We hastened away from his street, coming to the muggle train station that we had arrived at just hours ago. The long train ride took us back to busy, crowded streets of London that we had encountered earlier.

"Excellent! We are well ahead of schedule! We must make a stop in Diagon Alley," said Dumbledore. We walked to the Leaky Cauldron. Before entering, Dumbledore explained his plan to us. We would meet us back here in an hours time to pick us up. He had some business to attend to in the area, and he was sure that he would draw too much attention to us if we were with him. Instead, Athena and I would accompany the little boy to get him Hogwarts things and then reunite with Dumbledore after we were finished. We said goodbye and parted ways.

Our first stop was to convert his muggle money into galleons, sickles and knuts. Afterwards we strolled through Diagon Alley getting him a wand, robes, supplies, and finally, a small brown owl. His bright blue eyes were wide in shock at all the new sites. He talked animatedly about all the things he was seeing, while we explained different things that he didn't recognize. I could already see that I was going to get along well with this boy. There was something about him that reminded me of myself when I had first found out about magic. So full of wonder and excitement... simpler times.

Finally, weighed down with packages and bags full of new stuff, we headed back to the Leaky Cauldron to meet Dumbledore. He was standing cheerfully in the entrance, waiting for us. I was surprised to see that he was not surrounded with admirers, but I suspected that this was due to some clever spell that Dumbledore had up his sleeve.

We continued along the way back to Hogwarts. It was a slower journey that ours this morning, seeing as we now had a small child with us. Dumbledore had relieved us of the school things and with a flick of his wand the packages and luggage disappeared. We kept walking down the street, down to a more private, abandoned street. Dumbledore, after quickly glancing around to make sure we were alone, raised his wand and sent red sparks into the sky. I was about to ask him what he was doing when a black muggle care pulled up in front of us.

Dumbledore strolled over and got into the front seat. Athena, Adrien and I got into the back. I noticed that Kingsley Shacklebolt was driving the car.

"Ava, how are you doing?" He said in his deep, quiet voice.

"Not too bad, yourself?" I asked.

"Not too bad," he said with a small smile.

"Adrien, Athena, this is Kingsley Shacklebolt. He is a good friend of mine," said Dumbledore. They just nodded. Then, we took off. I wasn't exactly a fan of muggle cars. They seemed so dangerous, but then again, I was with Dumbledore so I knew I had nothing to worry about. The drive was long. It was slow and boring to be sitting in the car, but I was kept entertained by Adrien. He had continuous questions about magic, that he directed to me. I found it quite adorable, and I explained everything to him. He was especially interested in finding out more about Hogwarts. I explained the difference with the different houses, and the classes he would be taking.

After the extremely long drive, we finally turned into a muggle street. I recognized it as the street to Grimmauld Place. We exited the car, and Kingsley drove away. Dumbledore handed Adrien a slip of paper, that I assumed had the address on it.

Suddenly, the entrance to Grimmauld Place appeared out of thin air.

"Wicked," I heard Adrien mutter from beside me. We walked up to the front entrance and stepped inside the house. Dumbledore immediately started towards the kitchen. When we entered, I saw Sirius sitting at the dining room table.

"Dumbledore! Ava!" He exclaimed, jumping up to shake hands with everyone. He was clearly craving company.

"Please, sit down. I'll get some butter beer! _Kreacher!" _He yelled.

"Sorry, Sirius. No time to waste. We must get back to Hogwarts!" said Dumbledore. Sirius looked disappointed, but nodded in understanding.

"We must create a portkey that will take us back to Hogwarts," he explained.

"But sir, isn't that dangerous? What if somebody from the Ministry finds out?" Asked Athena nervously.

"Do not worry about that, my dear. I had made it clear that I would be going to pick Adrien up. The Ministry will not be able to check the location from which the portkey left, or how many people used it, so it will be ok," Dumbledore assured her. He then pulled a plate off the shelf and tapped it with his wand. It glowed blue for a moment.

"Adrien, just touch the plate with one finger. When I tell you to, let go," said Dumbledore. We all placed a finger on the plate. After a few seconds of waiting, the portkey glowed again brightly. I quickly said goodbye to Sirius before I suddenly felt a hook feeling behind navel. We were being pulled back to Hogwarts.

"Let go!" commanded Dumbledore. I removed my finger from the plate and felt myself spinning, until I made contact with a hard surface. I looked around and saw Adrien lying beside me, looking a little bit dazed. Athena had managed to land quite gracefully, and was standing beside Dumbledore. We were back in his office. I stood up and brushed myself off.

"Adrien, welcome to Hogwarts," said Dumbledore cheerfully. Adrien smiled happily, looking around the circular office.

"Well, our first order of business will be to sort you into a house. If you will please sit down," Dumbledore requested. Adrien took a seat on a small couch near a window. Dumbledore went to a glass cabinet and pulled off the grubby looking Sorting Hat, and placed it on Adrien's head.

I smiled slightly when he jumped violently, as the Hat began talking to him. Of course, I couldn't hear what it was saying but it was funny all the same. The Hat took several minutes talking to Adrien. I could hear him quietly muttering back to the Hat.

"Fine! It will have to be _GRYFFINDOR!_" the Hat cried. I jumped with excitement and gave Adrien a high five. I would be able to spend more time with him this way!

"Excellent! Now, Ava and Athena, if you'll please make your way back to your respective quarters. Ava, please send Hermione Granger back to my office. It will look less suspicious for her to show Adrien around the castle," he us. "And please use the cloak," he added as we made to leave the office. I pulled up the silvery cloak and threw it over the two of us. I dropped Athena off to her suite and continued back to Gryffindor tower. I expected Hermione to be sitting in the common room surrounded by books.

Of course I was right. Hermione was sitting at a table with about ten different library books opened around her. Typical.

"Hermione! Dumbledore wants to see you in his office. You're supposed to show Adrien, the new Element, around," I explained.

"Oh, alright. I really need to study though! Is there any way that you could do it?" she pleaded.

"I would, but Dumbledore thinks it'll look less suspicious if a prefect is showing him around. He doesn't want Umbridge to know what's going on, obviously," I told her.

"Fine, fine. I'm going," she sighed, getting up and leaving her stack of books sprawled all over the table. She left the common room. I knew that I should start studying now, but I decided that I had earned a bit of a break. Rather than going up the girls' stairs to get my book bag, I went up the boys' to Harry's dorm.

I knocked loudly at his door. After a few minutes, the door opened, and Ben was standing there.

"Ava! Did you get him?" Ben demanded.

"Yeah! He's in Dumbledore's office right now! He got into Gryffindor!" I told him.

"Awesome!" He cried.

"Hermione's gone to his office now. She's supposed to show him around," I explained.

"Ah, ok. Does he seem alright?" He asked.

"He's cute. He seems really eager to learn. I like him!" I told him.

"That's good. It's going to be difficult to teach him though. He doesn't know any magic yet," he sighed.

"He'll do fine. I'll work with him outside of class if I need to. He's going to do fine," I assured him.

"Alright. I hope you're right," he said, unsure.

"Oh, by the way. Where is Harry?" I asked.

"I think he's in the Great Hall, getting a late dinner. He got a detention, so I think he went there after," Ben explained.

"A detention? From who?" I demanded.

"Who do you think?" said Ben.

"UGH! That Umbridge woman is such a troll!" I cried. "Well, I haven't had dinner either, so I'll go and meet him!" I said, rolling my eyes. I said goodbye and started towards the Great Hall. When I got there I was greeted by a surprising sight. Harry wasn't alone. Sitting beside him was Cho Chang. She had her hand casually placed on his arm. She was giggling incessantly. To be clear, Harry looked pretty uncomfortable with the situation, and he kept trying to pull away from her. I decided to rescue him. I strolled over and sat down beside him.

"Hey Harry," I said, with a small smirk directed at Cho. I leaned over and kissed Harry on the lips forcefully. I hoped I didn't over do it, but I mean I had to show her who Harry belonged to here. When I pulled away I knew I hadn't. He looked a little bit dazed for a second, before coming back to his senses. "Oh, hi Cho," I added as an afterthought.

"Ava, you're back!" he said with a big smile. "How's your gran?" he asked, playing along with my cover story.

"She's doing alright. I'm sure she'll make a full recovery," I said. I wasn't looking at him. Instead, I continued looking at Cho, who looked disappointed at my sudden appearance. I linked my fingers with Harry's.

"Alright, I'll see you later Harry. Bye Ava," she added, throwing me a sour look before going back to the Ravenclaw table.

"Ava, I can explain..." Harry started.

"Don't worry, my dear!" I said, leaning over and giving him a quick peck.

"So, were you just a little bit jealous?" Harry asked, with a grin.

"I don't know to what you are referring," I said, playing dumb. He just laughed at me.

"Well, don't worry about Cho. I think she likes me, but I'm definitely not interested," he assured me.

"Good to know. I don't like how she was hanging onto you though," I admitted. "I think it's time that Cho moved on."

"Well, do you have any ideas?" Harry asked.

"Well, I was thinking a little while ago, that it was about time that Ben moved on as well. Maybe we can kill two birds with one stone," I suggested.

"You're suggesting that we hook them up?" asked Harry.

"I'll figure something out," I said distantly, already formulating a plan. As I thought I picked up a bread roll and started on dinner.


	35. Chapter 35

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**Thanks for reading :)**

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><p>Adrien was fitting in really well. Everyone seemed to be buying his story of getting sick at the beginning of the year and coming back now. He was easily making friends with the rest of the first year Gryffindors. The students weren't the only people that liked him. The professors seemed quite pleased with his work in the week following his arrival at Hogwarts. It was clear that he was naturally talented. Adrien was starting to remind me of Hermione a little bit. He constantly had his nose buried in a book. It was probably because he was nervous about being half a term behind, but he was catching up quickly.<p>

I had been working with him as much as possible when I had any free time. Every evening I took him to the Room of Requirement, along with Harry, Ron, Hermione or Ben (whoever was available) and practiced some basic spells with him. Within a couple of days he had managed to master _Alohomora, Petrificus Totalus _and _Wingardium Leviosa._ Needless to say, he was impressing the heck out of all of us.

Apart from learning magic, he was also getting used to the castle. Hermione had showed him around the entire castle. I think he was a little bit overwhelmed. He unfortunately had to learn about the ghosts the hard way, after a regrettable incidence involving Peeves and a large bucket of icy water. He was fascinated by the enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall and the giant squid in the lake. Adrien, I could tell, already seemed at home here.

Since he had arrived at Hogwarts, we had had two meetings with Dumbledore. They had gone reasonably well, though it did show us how much Adrien really did have to learn. In our first lesson he had managed to make a couple of raindrops fall from the sky, but that was it. Dumbledore was optimistic that he would soon get used to his powers soon enough though.

The only person that didn't seem to be too please by Adrien's appearance was Umbridge. She seemed suspicious about the child, and had called him into her office to question him. I had warned him to only pretend to drink anything she gave him because it would most likely be laced with truth serum. He reported back that she had offered him pumpkin juice and then questioned him about his relationship with Dumbledors. He ensured us that he had just played dumb and that she didn't know a thing.

She also called me, Harry and Ben into her office for questioning, but we all just acted like we knew nothing, which just made her angry. I couldn't worry about her now, though. The O.W.L.s were almost here and the fifth years were panicking. In order to keep up with everything, I was having to sacrifice my sleep. I was surviving solely on naps. Not only were the teachers piling on the work, but the match against Ravenclaw for the quidditch cup would be taking place in a couple of days. Angelina had taken a page out of Wood's book and was holding quidditch practice four times a week, which was adding a lot of stress to my life.

I had just finished my lessons for the day, and I had ten minutes to run back to the common room to drop off my stuff and grab my broom before practice. I ran onto the field just in time for practice. The rest of the team was already on the pitch and were stretching.

"Oh, Avery. Thank's for turning up," said Angelina sarcastically, rolling her eyes. I bit back a retort because I knew that she was under pressure right now. I quickly strapped on my gloves and got into position. I saw Ron standing not too far from me. He was clearly tense about the match and was looking even more pale than usual.

"Alright everyone! Up in the sky!" Angelina called, interrupting my thoughts. I pushed off the ground and soared into the air. I could feel the tension leaving my body. I did a quick lap of the pitch before Angelina released the Bludgers. She then tossed me the Quaffle, and practice began.

Overall, it was a decent practice, and we all left the pitch feeling moderately pleased with ourselves. I quickly changed into normal clothes back in the change room and then hurried back to the common room to finish an assignment before I had to go to another lesson with Dumbledore.

The Potions assignment was difficult and detailed. I had barely finished half when Ben and Adrien came downstairs.

"Ava, are you almost done? We need to get going," said Ben. I sighed loudly and slammed my Potions textbook on the table.

"Let's go," I said crossly, walking out of the portrait hole. Ben and Adrien were close behind me. We walked quickly towards Dumbledore's office.

"_Hem hem,_" we heard from behind us. I whipped around, and saw the last person that I wanted to see.

"And where are we off to?" asked Umbridge sweetly. I had to think of a lie right away. I glanced at Ben, who seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"I was just heading to the library, Professor. I'm taking Adrien because he doesn't know the way yet," I said quickly. Probably too quickly, because she narrowed her gaze at me.

"I see. And Mr. Lewis, where are you claiming to go?" she demanded.

"I'm going to send a letter to someone. I'm just headed to the Owlery," he lied.

"See, I do not think you are going to the Owlery, or the library. What I think is that you are going to see Professor Dumbledore. For what reason are you all going to his office?" She asked, with a sickly sweet smile.

"Even if we were going to Dumbledore's office, it wouldn't be any of your business, would it?" I challenged, instantly knowing it was the wrong move.

"Now is that how you talk to the High Inquisitor? I think that a detention would help you learn some respect for your superiors. Tomorrow at seven o'clock should be good," she said, still smiling a cold smile at me. I just glared back at her.

"Now, I believe you were on your way to Professor Dumbledore's office. I think I shall join you," she said, and she started towards Dumbledore's office. We reluctantly followed her, knowing that it would only look worse if we left now. We approached the stone gargoyle and Umbridge whispered the password. We continued up the staircase and she knocked at his office door.

"Enter," said Dumbledore's voice, so Umbridge pushed open the heavy door. Unfortunately Athena had already arrived, so now Umbridge knew that she was involved as well.

"Good evening, Professor Umbridge! To what do I owe this meeting?" Asked Dumbledore.

"Well, Dumbledore, I happened to see these three who claimed to be going to the library or the owlery, but I believe they were lying. I believe that they were actually coming here," she explained.

"Coming here? What would give you that idea?" said Dumbledore pleasantly.

"Well, according to members of the Inquisitorial Squad, Mr. Lewis, Miss Alexander and now Mr. Morgan have been seen coming together to meetings at your office quite regularly, along with Ms. Caras. Can you explain this to me?" she said, losing some of her patience and the sugary tone in her voice.

"Ah, yes. I did see Draco Malfoy lurking around the entrance to my office. Is that really your strategy? To have students tail me?" said Dumbledore, still managing to maintain an even tone.

"Look here Dumbledore, as the High Inquisitor, I have a right to know what happens here. Cornelius... I mean, the Minister, is concerned with the way you are running this school," she said indignantly

"Ah, but you have no right to question me about my own business with my students. However, I did not have any business with any of these students tonight, so I suggest you let them carry on to their destinations before curfew. And if you do not mind, I am finishing up a meeting with Ms. Caras, so if you'll excuse us," he said dismissively. Umbridge huffed loudly, turned on her heel and left the office. Ben, Adrien and I stayed for a second longer to find out what we were supposed to do, but Dumbledore just nodded to tell us that we should leave. Umbridge would have just asked more questions if we weren't right behind her.

Umbridge insisted on walking us to our destinations, so I had no choice but to take Adrien to the library. We stayed there for a few minutes, and I checked out a book to make it seem like we had really needed to go there, and then went back to the Gryffindor common room. Ten minutes later, Ben came through the portrait hole.

"Wow, that was close," he sighed. I nodded in agreement. A few minutes later, an owl swooped in through an opened window of the common room. I pulled the letter off and opened it up to see that it was from Dumbledore.

_I will inform you when our next lesson shall be. Do not come by my office, as it is most likely being watched._

_ Albus Dumbledore_

I read it out loud to the other two, who nodded in understanding. Since the lesson had been cancelled, I now found myself with a bit of free time. Rather than being responsible and pulling out my half-finished potions assignment, I decided that it was high time for a break. I hadn't had time to see or talk to Harry much because we were so busy, so I decided to go find him. I said a quick goodbye to my fellow Elements, and went up the boys' stairs, figuring that would be the best place to start. I knocked loudly at the dorm door and then pushed it open. Big mistake.

As soon as I opened the door, Ron and Hermione jumped up and looked at me sheepishly. It seemed as though I had interrupted something, given their guilt, blushing faces and the fact that Ron's shirt was on the floor.

"Oops! Sorry! I was looking for Harry. Sorry," I called, as I hurried out of the room. Just as I was leaving, I collided with someone. It turned out it was Harry.

"Um, you do not want to go in there. It's 'occupied'," I said with a smirk.

"Ugh, I wish those two would put up a sign on the door or something. I've walked in on them three times now!" Harry sighed.

"Maybe they've learned their lesson now?" I suggested.

"Maybe.. so how was your meeting with Dumbledore?" he asked, taking my hand and leading me down the stairs.

"Well, we didn't have one. Umbridge decided to accompany us to his office, because apparently Malfoy has been spying outside Dumbledore's office, and he told her that Dumbledore was having meetings with Ben, Athena, Adrien and I," I replied glumly.

"Oh no! What happened?" He asked. I explained the whole encounter to him.

"You have a detention? She's going to make you write with her blood quill!" he cried angrily. It was sweet that he was being so protective.

"Don't worry. I'll just ask Hermione to have a bowl of Murlap Essence ready for me! It'll be alright," I assured him. Once he had calmed down, he spoke again.

"So, what were you doing in my dorm?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Well, I was looking for you! I feel like I haven't spent any time with you in ages!" I told him.

"Do you fancy a walk?" he asked. I had some free time and a couple of hours until curfew so I said sure. I quickly ran upstairs to the girls' dorms to get my cloak and met Harry in the common room in a few minutes. He took my hand and lead me out of the common room, down several hallways and staircases until we reached the Entrance Hall.

We left the castle and went to the grounds. The air was cold, so I pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders. Harry lead me towards the abandoned quidditch pitch, and to a lone bench. We sat down together, still hand in hand. The moon was bright in the sky, so I was able to see Harry perfectly.

"Ava, I've been meaning to say something to you," he said. I just nodded him in encouragement.

"You look beautiful tonight..." he said quickly. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Is that what you wanted to tell me?" I asked, with a small smile.

"Well, no. I guess not. This is a difficult thing to say. I've been think about it, and I think that we shouldn't be together anyone," he said quietly, staring down at our linked fingers. That was certainly unexpected. I pulled my hand away from his.

"What do you mean?" I demanded, feeling the tears start to sting my eyes.

"Listen, we're in a war right now. Voldemort is bound to go after the people I love most to get to me," he sighed. I just started at him for a few seconds.

"I'm one of the people you love the most?" I replied in a whisper. He tore his eyes away from his lap.

"Of course you are! I love you so much," he said.

"I love you too. And I refuse to let you break up with me," I said firmly. He looked at me, surprised.

"What?"

"I refuse. Simple as that. I don't care if you think Voldemort will use me. We're not breaking up," I said, forcefully. With that, I leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss, which he returned enthusiastically. It was evident to both of us that I had won this argument. Harry and I spend the next couple of hours outside, strolling around the grounds and talking happily.


	36. Chapter 36

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>After the unfortunate run-in with Umbridge, Dumbledore had cancelled any lessons for the rest of the week. After that, we would be taking Harry's invisibility cloak and going to the lessons that way. It was going to become a bit of a chore, but it was a necessary precaution. The only good thing was that now I had some extra time on my hands, which was a bit of a relief. We had a three hour long quidditch practice today, since the cup match was tomorrow. I had finally gotten back to the common room and Hermione had started quizzing me almost immediately.<p>

"Alright, what are Gamp's Laws for Elemental Transfiguration?" said Hermione, quizzing me in the common room. I buried my head in my hands.

"Hermione! I don't know!" I cried, overwhelmed. I was getting so frustrated. It was clear that I was completely unprepared for my upcoming exams.

"Ava! You need to know that!" Hermione scolded. I didn't bother answering her. I was perfectly aware that I needed to know that.

"I know Hermione!" I muttered.

"I don't think you do! This is really important! The exams are only a month away!" she cried. She continued to rant, but I had stopped listening to her. I could feel a sudden surge of anger towards Hermione. I could hear my breathing start to become ragged, and my hands started to tremble a little bit. I tried to steady my breathing, because I knew that if let it go on for too long, I would most likely lose control. It was proving to be quite difficult.

Suddenly, the floor began to shake. It was very slight, but it didn't stop everyone in the common room from looking around worriedly. They all rushed to the windows to see what was happening. Harry noticed immediately what was really going on, as did Ben and Ron.

"Hermione! Give it a rest," snapped Harry, as he came to sit next to me. He placed a wary hand on top of mine, which broke my concentration and instantly calmed me down. Harry's touch seemed to bring me back to my senses right away and the floor stopped shaking. I glanced around at the worried faces of my friends.

"Sorry guys. I'm just so stressed out right now. It's becoming tougher to control myself when I'm having to worry about a hundred other things. I'm sorry, Hermione," I said, in a small voice.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm sorry I was giving you a hard time," she apologized. I gave her a weak smile in response.

"Ok, let's study," I said, turning back to my books. I could tell that my friends were glancing at each other behind me, nervously before going back to whatever they had been doing. I stared down at my notes, but I wasn't really absorbing anything at all. The words appeared to be swirling around the parchment.

I closed my eyes and massaged my temples, trying to rid myself of the newly developing headache. Maybe it was because I hadn't had a chance to use my powers in a while, or maybe it was because I was busy with other things and couldn't afford to be having these kinds of problems now, but I was having a tough time getting my powers to settle down.

I knew what I had to do. I decided that I would wait until it was later, once everyone was in bed, and then I would go onto the grounds and play around with my magic for a bit. Hopefully that would make things easier... I waited until everyone had stopped thinking about the little incident. Once I was sure that everyone was immersed in their own work I left my seat and sat down next to Harry.

"Harry, I have a favour to ask," I whispered so only he could hear.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I need to borrow the invisibility cloak," I said.

"What for?" he asked in surprise.

"I want to go to the grounds tonight. I think I need to practice some magic," I admitted. He hesitated for a minute.

"Alright, but I'm coming with you. I don't like the idea of you being alone in the grounds in the middle of the night," said Harry.

"Thanks!" I said, giving him a quick kiss, before going back to my seat. The prospect of going out later was exciting, and it made it a little bit easier to concentrate on my work. By the end of the night I was even managing to quiz Hermione on the different ingredients used in a Strengthening Solution. Eventually the common room started to empty slowly.

Harry and I said goodnight to our friends, and finally we were alone in the common room. Harry ran upstairs to get the cloak and the Marauders Map. We packed up our piles of books and parchment, and then left the tower. Just as we were about to step through the portrait hole, we heard a voice from behind us.

"Where are you guys going?" said Adrien from the boys' staircase. I jumped violently, and whipped around.

"Adrien! What are you doing up?" I asked.

"I remembered I left a book down here. I didn't want to lose it," he told us. "Where are you going?" he repeated. I glanced at Harry for a moment, who just shrugged slightly.

"We're going to the grounds. I need to use my magic, or I may end up losing control of it," I admitted.

"Cool! Can I come with you?" he asked, enthusiastically.

"I suppose so, if you hurry. Go put on some warmer clothes!" I told him. He sprinted up the stairs and returned a minute later wearing leather boots, and a think cloak.

"Alright, get under the cloak. And be really quiet!," said Harry, throwing the cloak over all of our tapped the Marauders Map and whispered '_I solemnly swear that I am up to no good' _before ushering us out of the tower. We walked silently to the entrance hall and exited through the front door (which Harry opened with the handy knife given to him by Sirius that would unlock any door).

The breeze wasn't very strong. It was a surprisingly mild night, considering it was only the beginning of February. We walked to the place where my favourite oak tree had once stood. After it had been destroyed, I had grown a magnificent chestnut tree in its place. I was extremely lucky that I had picked such a remote spot for my little garden, as I was sure that everyone would be quite baffled about the fact that this tree was still covered in fresh green lives. Surrounding the tree were several flowerbeds and bushes, making for quite an impressive little garden.

"Cool! Did you do all this?" asked Adrien, pulling off the invisibility cloak and running up to the garden.

"Yup!" I said, proudly. Adrien hadn't gotten a chance to witness my powers yet.

"Wicked! Can you show me?" he asked eagerly. I nodded, and pointed at the ground, as a new flower began to bloom. His eyes grew wider as a little bud sprouted and bloomed.

"That's amazing! I wish I was able to use my powers!" he sighed glumly.

"You will soon enough! I promise," I told him.

"So, what did you want to do?" asked Harry.

"Hmm, let me think. Why don't you guys sit down?" I suggested. They both sat down against the wide trunk of the tree, staring at me expectantly.

Then, I thought of something I had wanted to try for a while. It was something I had seen in the book that Hermione gave me. The book said that the Earth Element had the power to control trees. Not just to grow them at will, but to actually get them to do things. I had gotten a wonderful vision of the trees helping to fight against the Death Eaters. I would make it happen.

I stepped closer to my garden and concentrated on the ground. Soon, a thin tree trunk began to emerge from the ground. In front of me stood an extremely tiny tree, standing beside the enormous, fully grown chestnut tree. I had decided that it would be best to start out small. Harry and Adrien continued to watch me curiously.

I placed my hands on the trunk of the tree and pushed my energy and magic into my palms. Nothing happened. I opened one eyes and saw that nothing had changed, so I tried again. This time, I could feel the trunk of the tree vibrate beneath my fingers. I continued to push my magic into the tree, until I heard a soft gasp from beside me. I opened my eyes.

The little tree had pulled itself out of the ground, and it's coarse roots were above ground. I wasn't exactly sure what I should do to make the tree move now. I moved a few steps away

"Come here," I said quietly to the tree. I felt a little stupid talking to the tree with Harry and Adrien watching me intently. Fortunately, I didn't look too stupid. The little tree began slowly moving towards me.

"Good job, Ava" said Harry.

"Wow! I didn't know I could do that!" I said happily. "Maybe if I practice this, I'll be able to create an army of trees to use against the Death Eaters!"

"Maybe. You should tell Dumbledore what you managed to do!" Harry encouraged, coming to stand beside me.

"Yeah, but I'll have to wait until it's safe to go back to his office. I obviously can't send it in a letter," I said tiredly. I realized how weak I was knees started to give away, but luckily Harry was able to catch a hold of me and ease me to the ground.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Just feeling really tired. Help me up, will you?" I asked. He took my hands and pulled me back up, putting his arm around my waist to hold me up.

"Adrien, come on. We're going back," Harry said, throwing the cloak over our heads. He had to half drag and half carry me back to the common room. By the time we had gotten back I was feeling a little bit better, and I managed to get myself up to my room. I staggered to my bed and just collapsed on top of my comforter. I was asleep in mere minutes.

I had a strange dream that night. I was on the quidditch pitch and was being chased around by the oak tree that had been destroyed months ago. It kept trying to knock me off my broomstick, until little Adrien came and axed it down.

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><p><strong>Hey, sorry if this chapter didn't have a lot of... stuff in it. I hope you still enjoyed it :) I'll post a more fun one tomorrow! <strong>


	37. Chapter 37

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>"I told you! She won't wake up! She has to leave now! The match starts in fifteen minutes!" I heard from beside me. My eyelids were feeling extremely heavy and my limbs felt like lead. With difficulty I managed to wrench my eyes opened. Bright sunlight was streaming through the open window beside my bed, temporarily blinding me. It took my eyes a few seconds to adjust, but when they did I saw several people standing around me, including Harry and Ron. Hermione was the first to notice that I was awake.<p>

"Ava! You're awake! Finally!" she cried.

"Yeah, I am. What's going on?" I asked.

"Ava, the quidditch match begins in ten minutes! You have to get downstairs.

"What? Why didn't anyone wake me up earlier?" I demanded, jumping out of bed and combing through my trunk for my scarlet quidditch robes. They were wadded up at the bottom of my trunk. I grabbed my Nimbus, which was leaning against my bed.

"Come on!" I yelled, as I sprinted out of the room. Harry and Ron were just steps behind me. We arrived at the pitch in record time, and thankfully the match hadn't begun yet. I quickly threw my robes on over my pyjamas, and pulled my hair into a ponytail, before joining the rest of my team on the field. We actually got there with about ten minutes to spare. Harry ran over to talk to Angelina before the match began, leaving Ron and I to start stretching.

"Ron! What happened back there?" I asked.

"I dunno. Hermione was trying to wake you up and you weren't responding to anything. We rode our brooms upstairs to see what was going on, and then you just woke up," explained Ron.

"Oh, I guess I was still exhausted from last night," I said. Ron gave me a suggestive smirk.

"OH come on, Ron! I didn't mean it like that!" I cried, smacking him on the shoulder.

"Sure you didn't!" He chuckled.

"Quiet, Weasley. I went down to the grounds with Harry _and _Adrien to practice some magic!" I clarified.

"Alright, if you say so. How long did you spend down there, that you were so tired this morning?" he asked. I glanced around to ensure that we weren't going to be overheard, and then explained how I had made the tree move.

"Have you told Dumbledore yet?" he whispered.

"Ron! This only happened last night. And in case you haven't noticed, Dumbledore's office and all of our owls are being checked," I said.

"Oh, right," he said with a shrug. Just then, Madam Hooch blew her whistle loudly.

"Please take your places on the pitch!" She called out to both teams. We made our way to the centre of the pitch and stood with the rest of the Gryffindor team. We were standing directly across from the Ravenclaw team. I glanced across the line of Ravenclaws. I saw Cho Chang, who was standing across from Harry and smiling seductively. I felt the little jealous monster inside me snarl, but I pushed the feeling down. Now was definitely not the time. Then Madam Hooch blew the whistle again, and we kicked off. She released the Bludgers and tossed the Quaffle in the air, before freeing the snitch. And the game begun. The cold wind made me feel properly awake.

Immediately, Angelina had the Quaffle. She sped towards the Ravenclaw hoops, but a Bludger came flying towards her. She threw the Quaffle to Katie, who swerved between two of the Ravenclaw chasers, and flung it towards the centre hoop. It sailed through easily. Cheers erupted from most of the stands (except for the Slytherins, obviously).

Now, Davies was in possession of the Quaffle. Fred or George (I still had trouble telling the difference) sent both Bludgers towards him, causing him to drop the ball. I dived and managed to save it just before it touched the ground. I charged toward the Ravenclaw hoops.

I was being surrounded by the Ravenclaw chasers, so I chucked the ball to Angelina. Unfortunately, one of the chasers from the other team managed to knock it out of her reach. He raced towards the Gryffindor hoops. I could see Ron trembling from half way across the field. Miraculously, he saved it. The spectators went crazy, and I could see Ron's face turn beet red.

By the time we were an hour into the game, there was still no sight of the snitch. Gryffindor was in the lead, 60-10. Ron, despite the jeers from the Slytherins, was doing amazingly well! The little buzz that I had gotten when I first took off was started to wear away, and it was being replaced by tiredness. I kept trying to suppress my yawns, because I didn't want to seem bored, but I was secretly crossing my fingers that Harry would find the snitch soon.

"AVA! THE QUAFFLE!" yelled Angelina, pulling me back to reality. She was waiting to throw the ball to me. As soon as she had my attention, she tossed the ball to me. I lunged for it, but just as my fingers made contact, I felt a heavy object crash into my shoulder. The force was so much that I lost my balance and fell off my broom.

The grassy ground was a lot harder than I would have expected it to be. The impact was bone shattering. Literally. There was an audible crack that told me that at least one bone in my arm was broken. I felt tears in my eyes, but I blinked my eyes furiously to prevent them from spilling. Within seconds the rest of the Gryffindor team was crowded around me. Madam Hooch was hurrying over to where I was lying down.

"Back away, everyone!" She called. She knelt down beside me and examined my arm for a minute.

"Looks like a broken wrist, and a broken elbow," she confirmed. I looked up at the team. Harry's face looked white with shock.

"Does this mean that Gryffindor has to forfeit?" asked Angelina, nervously.

"I'm afraid it does. You must have seven players in the sky at all times. I'm sorry," said Madam Hooch. The team groaned, but admitted defeat. I couldn't allow it though.

"No! Madam Hooch! I'll play!" I said, pushing myself off the ground with my good arm.

"No, Ava! You can't!" Harry said angrily from beside me.

"Quiet Harry. I'm not going to let us lose the entire championship because of me. Just fine the snitch quickly!" I demanded. He knew that there was no arguing with me, so he just nodded silently.

"Ava!" I heard from behind me. Hermione had run from the stands when she saw me fall.

"Take this," she said. She had conjured a type of muggle sling, which she helped me to carefully put over my arm. It helped a little bit. At least I didn't feel like my arm was just hanging uselessly at my side anymore.

Madam Hooch blew the whistle again and we were back in the air. The Gryffindor chasers were careful not to pass me the Quaffle, and I just stayed out of the way. Thankfully, I only had to stay in the air for about ten more minutes. I suddenly saw Harry make a spectacular dive. Cho was right behind him, though her broom was much slower. I was sure he was going to crash into the ground, but he straightened up at the last second. In his outstretched hand, I saw the fluttering wings of the snitch. I cheered weakly with the rest of the team before touching back down on the ground. Within seconds, Harry was beside me. As the rest of the team celebrated out win, Harry steered me back to the castle, and to the hospital wing.

Madam Pomfrey was pretty outraged to say the least. She was livid that I had actually played out the rest of the game instead of coming straight to her. She examined my arm, and decided that my injury was more extensive than Madam Hooch had assumed. Along with the wrist and elbow, I also had a fractured collarbone. She decided that I would have to stay the night. I tried to object, because I wanted to go back and celebrate with the rest of Gryffindor house, but she insisted that I stay here for the night.

"I can't believe you played after your fall," said Harry, in a frustrated voice, while Madam Pomfrey went into her office to find some potion.

"Harry, what would you have done? I know you wouldn't have just let the team lose!" I snapped.

"But you were seriously hurt! Gosh, sometimes you are just so senseless," he sighed.

"Excuse me? I'm senseless? Well, if I'm so senseless then you can probably just leave," I hissed.

"Fine. I will leave," he retorted. He picked up his broom off the floor and stormed out of the hospital wing, just as Madam Pomfrey returned with a goblet of smoking green potion.

"Drink all of it, please. It's not very tasty, but it will fix you up," she said. That was a bit of an understatement. The liquid seared my throat, but I managed to gulp it down without throwing up. After I had finished up my potion, someone walked through the door. Hermione had come to visit me.

"Ava, how are you doing?" she asked quietly.

"Not bad I guess. That potion that Madam Pomfrey gave me was pretty wretched, but my arm will be fixed soon!" I explained.

"That's good to hear. I was worried. Ron told me to tell you that he hopes you're doing better. I just left him with Harry," she said. She looked like she wanted to say something more.

"Hermione, what is it that you want to say. Just spit it out," I encouraged.

"You know me too well. Well, Harry said that you two got into some sort of fight. Is everything alright?" she asked.

"He just got mad that I still played after getting hurt. And then he called me senseless! So I told him to leave," I explained.

"Boys. Well, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Harry looked pretty upset. I bet he's kicking himself right now," said Hermione with a chuckle. I smiled back.

"Well, I hope so," I sighed. Hermione sat down at the edge of my bed and started discussing the game with me. Even though I knew it wasn't really her thing, she was trying to be nice and I appreciated it.

"Ron played really well today!" I said. Her cheeks flushed slightly.

"Didn't he? I'm so proud of him!" she said dreamily. We soon changed the subject to lessons. Hermione started talking about the studying she had planned for the rest of the day. She offered to bring her books up to the hospital wing and study with me. I agreed half heartedly. I figured it would be a good way to keep my mind off the pain in my arm and my fight with Harry. She was back in minutes carrying her giant bag full of every fifth-year text book.

We decided to begin with Arithmancy, as that was likely to be the most difficult subject we would have. I could tell that Hermione was trying to be extremely patient with me, even though I kept getting answers wrong. Clearly she wanted to avoid a mishap like yesterday's.

Later on in the day, Madam Pomfrey came back into the wing with another large glass of potion for me. This one was clear and had a pleasant smell - like peppermint. She told me that it would probably put me to sleep in a few minutes.

"Thank's for helping me study, Hermione! I'm sorry I was struggling so much," I sighed, as I started to feel the potion take effect.

"Not to worry! I'll make sure you're ready for exams in no time!" she said brightly, as she packed up her mountain of books. I was asleep before she had left the room.

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><p><strong>THANKS FOR READING! <strong>


	38. Chapter 38

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>The transparent potion that Madam Pomfrey had given me was quite strong. I was knocked out within minutes, and slept the entire night through. I awoke the next morning earlier than usual. I just lay in bed with my eyes closed for a while, enjoying a few moments of peace before I had to begin the day. As I lay in my small hospital wing bed, I stretched out a little bit. My left arm and should felt a little bit stiff and painful, but all my bones were healed.<p>

I started to hear Madam Pomfrey bustling around the room, getting the hospital wing ready for the day. As she worked, I could hear her softly humming one of the newest songs by the Weird Sisters. I decided that it was probably time to wake up. I really wanted to get out of here and go back to the Gryffindor tower. I really needed to shower. I yawned loudly and stretched out, wincing slightly from the twinge in my arm.

When I opened my eyes I got a surprise though. At the foot of my bed was a large bouquet of flowers, but there was no sign of a note. Just then, Madam Pomfrey walked back into the room.

"Avery, you're awake! How are you feeling?" she asked cheerfully.

"I'm feeling ok! Thanks," I replied. "Madam Pomfrey, did you happen to see who dropped these off?" She glanced over at the roses in my hand.

"No dear, I haven't seen anyone. Nobody's been in here this morning," she said, turning back to the potion that she was spooning into small phials.

_How odd, _I thought, shrugging.

"So, is it fine for me to leave yet?" I asked hopefully. She put down her ladle and came over to my bed. She started checking my arm and bending it in a few awkward positions. Finally, she declared me healed and told me I could leave. I changed out of the cotton pyjamas she had provided me with back into my sweaty, muddy quidditch robes, with the mysterious bouquet of flowers in hand.

I skipped happily from the hospital, into the silent halls. I guess everyone was in class right now. I was excused from lessons for the rest of the day so I started walking to the Gryffindor tower.

"I see you got my flowers," said an arrogant voice from behind me. I turned around slowly, and was face to face with Draco Malfoy.

"You sent these to me?" I demanded, glaring at him.

"I saw your accident. I was terribly worried," said Draco, with a smirk.

"What do you want Malfoy?" I snapped.

"Oh, nothing really. I heard about your... _fight _with Potter. Just wanted you to know that there are other people that would appreciate you more," he said, with a stoney smile. I saw through his pretence at once. He was trying to collect me so I would work with Voldemort. Without even thinking, I responded.

"Yeah like who? Like your Death Eater father?" I sneered. The little bit of colour drained out of Draco's face.

"Don't talk about my father," he said, in a dangerous tone.

"I'll talk about that murdering son of a bitch however I want to," I said with a cold smile. I could see that Malfoy was struggling to keep his composure.

"You are making a big mistake, Alexander. He knows what you are. You can be a part of the winning side," whispered Malfoy.

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'm perfectly happy with where I am now," I said. With that, I turned around and continued in my direction, chucking the flowers in a nearby bin. I walked quickly to the common room. I was sure that Malfoy wasn't going to try anything without his goons, but to be on the safe side I decided it was better to power walk.

When I arrived in the Gryffindor common room, I saw that it was completely empty. I immediately went upstairs to bathe. Instead of sitting around the common room for the rest of the day, I figured that it would be highly unadvisable to miss a class so close to our exams. I was feeling much happier once I was clean. I threw on a clean set of robes and made my way to the Great Hall. It was almost time for lunch, and I figured I could meet my friends there.

The Great Hall had only just started to fill up when I got there. I spotted Hermione at one end of the Gryffindor table so I slipped into the seat beside her.

"Ava! I didn't know you were coming to lessons today! How are you feeling?" she asked, though she barely looked up from the textbook she had resting against a jug of pumpkin juice.

"Yeah, I feel alright! Good as new! I couldn't miss a lesson when we have our O.W.L.s so soon!" I said. She actually looked up at me, and gave me a bright smile. I clearly knew the way to Hermione's heart.

Just as I had finished my statement, I saw Harry and Ron walk into the Hall. They glanced at each other for a moment, before Harry walked over to a seat several places down from us. This stung a little bit. I had expected our stupid fight to be forgotten by this morning, and for him to have rushed up to me to ask me how I was doing. I had also wanted to tell them about what had happened with Malfoy, but clearly he was still upset. I sighed loudly.

"Don't worry. He'll stop being stupid and come over here! Ron told me that Harry is really upset about how stupid he was," said Hermione. I really hoped she was right. I was starving, so I piled my plate with food and started to chow down. Just as I had taken an especially large bite of chicken, I heard a voice.

"Ava?" said Harry. I swallowed my food quickly (nearly choking) and turned to face him.

"Yes?" I said, trying my best to look indifferent, though I probably didn't do a good job.

"How are you feeling?" he asked solemnly.

"I am feeling alright, thanks," I said.

"I'm glad. I'm sorry I was a jerk yesterday!" he sighed, taking the seat next to me. Hermione tactfully got up and excused herself to go and sit beside Ron, though we didn't pay her any attention.

"You were a huge jerk," I corrected, but my expression softened.

"Agreed. I was just worried about you. I'm really sorry!" He said. He gingerly clasped him hand over my newly repaired one.

"Ok, I forgive you," I said, leaning in and pressing my lips to his.

"Thanks! I'll try not to be so stupid again," he promised.

"That's all I ask," I chuckled. I waved Ron and Hermione over to where we were sitting.

"Doing alright, mate?" Ron asked me.

"Not bad!" I replied. I suddenly remembered what I had wanted to tell them.

"Oh, so I got a surprise visit in the hospital wing sometime last night," I told them.

"Who?" asked Ron.

"Draco Malfoy. Looks like Ben isn't the only person that Voldemort is trying to pick up," I told them. Their eyes went wide, so I explained the whole story to them. Harry looked livid, so I held his hand tighter.

"I'll kill him. Malfoy is dead," Harry muttered.

"Harry, you promised me you wouldn't be stupid! Getting yourself thrown into Azkaban would probably qualify as stupid!" I said. He just stared down at his lap, muttering to himself.

"So what did you tell him?" whispered Hermione.

"I just told him I wasn't interested. He's just trying to turn us against Harry, because he seems to think that it will make us want to join his side. What an idiot!" I laughed. Ron and Hermione glanced at each other uncertainly.

"Ava, you need to talk to Dumbledore," said Hermione seriously.

"I know, Hermione! But I can't very well walk up to his office while it's being watched can I?" I said.

"What if you take Harry's invisibility cloak and go in the night. I doubt that Umbridge has people stationed at the office throughout the night. And it's been a few days now. You should be alright. This is really important, after all," she said.

"I guess I have to don't I? Is it ok if I take the map too, Harry?" I asked.

"Of course, but I don't like the idea of you going alone," said Harry.

"Don't worry! I can control the earth! I'm sure I can deal with Malfoy, or Umbridge if I really had to!" I told him. He reluctantly nodded.

"Alright, tonight then!" I declared.

That night, after curfew, I took Harry's cloak and the Marauders Map, and started off to Dumbledore's office. I tapped the map and looked at the corridors. They seemed clear, except for Mrs. Norris and Filch, who seemed to be going for a late night stroll.

"_Chocolate Frog_," I whispered to gargoyle, who immediately jumped out of the way. I trudged up the familiar winding staircase to Dumbledore's office. It was pretty late so I was worried that I would wake the headmaster, but I decided that this was important enough. I knocked timidly at his door.

Moments later the door swung open. Dumbledore was standing in front of me wearing midnight blue robes and hat that were covered in little yellow stars. Definitely woke him up...

"Ava! What are you doing here?" he said, sounding surprised, as he allowed me entrance into his office.

"Professor, I'm sorry to come here so late. It was the only time I knew that your office wouldn't be watched," I said.

"I see. Please sit down and tell me what happened," he said. After sitting down, I explained to him what happened with Malfoy. Dumbledore's expression was grave as I finished my story.

"It was only a matter of time before Voldemort tried to collect the others. Athena will be next. I want you to tell her what happened so that she is warned. You must be careful, because Lord Voldemort does not take kindly to being rejected. And you must not be seen talking to Adrien too much outside of the Gryffindor tower. It is of great importance that Voldemort does not find out Adrien's true identity. Ben, Athena and you must look after him, but Mr. Malfoy cannot know," said Dumbledore. I nodded vigorously. There was no way I was going to let Adrien be hurt by the Death Eaters.

"Thank you for telling me what happened. I must ask that you go back to your tower now, before you are caught. Professor Umbridge must not see you out of bed. I trust that you have Harry's map of Hogwarts?" he asked.

"Yeah I do," I admitted.

"Alright. Check to see that nobody is watching," he told me. I glanced at the map and determined that it was all clear. I wished him goodnight and left the office. Tomorrow, I would go and talk to Athena and Ben about our new mission of protecting Adrien.


	39. Chapter 39

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>"So, Dumbledore wants us to keep Malfoy from finding out about Adrien?" asked Ben, clarifying what I had just explained.<p>

"Yes, he reckons that it's only a matter of time before Voldemort comes after Athena and I. We' would be able to look after ourselves, but Adrien won't. If Voldemort finds out that Adrien is Water, it'll be a lot easier to manipulate him," I explained. The other two nodded in understanding.

"So, what are we supposed to do?" asked Athena.

"I'm not exactly sure. We just have to make sure that Malfoy doesn't find out. We can't be seen talking to him more than necessary. It'd look much too suspicious for upper-years, and a teacher to be talking to him too much. We just have to keep him safe. I'm going to explain everything to him, so that he knows the possibility and know what to look out for," I told them.

"Do you want us to come with you?" asked Ben.

"No, that's alright. I can talk to him alone. I just wanted to tell you guys what was going on. Ben, would you mind doing me a favour though?" I asked.

"Of course! Anything!" he responded.

"Could you tell Ron, Hermione and Harry what's happening, so they know not to talk to him. I have to go talk to Adrien," I asked.

"Yeah. I'll explain everything to them," he nodded, and started getting up off Athena's couch.

"Wait! One thing, can you make sure that you go into too much detail about Voldemort coming after the three of us? Just talk to them about Adrien. You know how Harry likes to worry. I just don't want to deal with that right now," I pleaded.

"No problem. I'll just tell them to keep their distance from Adrien!" he laughed, and left the suite. I would wait for a couple of minutes before going to talk to Adrien, just in case Umbridge caught Ben and I walking in the hall together. She would obviously assume we were coming from Dumbledore's office, and then she would probably send someone to watch the office. We definitely needed to be able to talk to Dumbledore when we needed, especially now with Voldemort trying to recruit.

I turned to Athena as I waited.

"So, how are you doing?" I asked with a weary smile.

"I'm alright, given the circumstances. What about you? You seem like something is troubling you? I mean, aside from the obvious," she commented. She always knew...

"Eh, I'm alright. I'm just worried about Adrien. I mean, we pulled him away from his mom, and took him off to this strange school. And now, he's in serious danger. I'm just not sure anymore if it was the best idea to bring him here," I sighed.

"Well, he would be in even more danger id he was away from Dumbledore. You know perfectly well that it would be only a matter of time before Voldemort found out, and then Adrien would be left unprotected and defenceless. At least here we can protect him and teach him to use his powers, so that he can protect himself," said Athena.

"I know you're right, but I can't help but wonder. And he's so young. He's barely eleven years old! Now he's in the midst of a war!" I cried.

"I know, it's a tough situation, but he's here. So you have to stop focusing on whether he would be better off somewhere else. You have to concentrate on keeping him safe and happy, just like we promised his mother. That's all we can do at this point!" she said wisely.

"Alright. I'll try. I won't let anything happen to him!" I vowed. I got up off the couch and said goodbye before heading back to Gryffindor tower. I wasn't sure where Adrien would be so I decided to check the common room before checking else where.

Sadly, he was not in the common room when I got there. Thankfully, Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting on our regular couch in deep conversation.

"Hey guys!" I said. They looked up at me gravely.

"Hey," they muttered.

"What's the matter?" I asked, though I knew exactly what their response would be.

"Ben just explained everything to us. It's terrible!" said Hermione quietly. I noted that she was looking rather pale.

"Hermione! We're going to protect him. Just don't spend too much time with him so it won't be too suspicious and everything will be ok," I promised.

"Harry, could I borrow the Map? I need to talk to Adrien about what's going on and I can't find him," I explained. Harry nodded and ran upstairs to get the map. He returned in a minute holding a old piece of parchment and a shimmery cloak. He tapped it and muttered _"I solemnly swear I am up to no good". _Moments later the parchment was covered with moving black dots.

I peered at the Map, searching for Adrien's name. Finally, I found a dot labelled 'Adrien Morgan' which was currently in the grounds. I knew exactly where he was.

"Thanks!" I said quickly.

"Here, take the cloak as well. Just in case, you know," said Harry, handing me the cloak. I thanked him, before walking briskly from the common room. I continued through several hallways and staircases until I reached the Entrance Hall. I continued through the huge doors to the grounds. I took the tiny path that I had used so many times in the past to my garden.

As I approached the garden I saw a small figure leaning against the tree, staring into space.

"Hey," I said quietly, so as not to startle him. He still jumped slightly. He turned around and smiled in relief when he saw me.

"Hey, Ava. I hope you don't mind that I came here. It's just such a nice place," said Adrien, sheepishly.

"No, I don't mind at all! You're always welcome here," I said, sitting next to him.

"So what brings you out here on this terribly cold February afternoon?" I asked.

"Just needed some time away from homework and stuff. This just seemed like a nice place to come and get away from everything," he explained.

"Ah, of course. I understand. Why do you think I made this garden?" I said.

"So, why are you here?" asked Adrien. I hesitated for a moment, but decided that I should get it over with.

"I came here to talk to you actually. I saw where you were on Harry's map," I admitted.

"Oh. What did you want to talk to me about?" I inhaled deeply.

"Alright. Well, you're awake of what Ben is doing right? With him being a double agent and all?" I asked. Adrien just nodded.

"Well, it turns out that Voldemort is trying to recruit all of us. He knows about Athena and I, but he still doesn't know that you're the fourth Element. We need to keep it that way," I explained.

"Ok... so what does that mean?" he asked.

"That means that we can't outside of Gryffindor tower anymore. We have to be really careful that Draco Malfoy doesn't find out who you are, as he seems to be their spy within Hogwarts. If he does find out, he's going to go straight to Voldemort and they're going to try and get you," I told him. He gazed blankly at me.

"We're going to keep you safe though. I promise you. I won't let anything happen to you. And you're safest here, with Dumbledore watching out for you," I promised him.

"I know that. I know that none of you would let anything happen to me. I'm not worried," he said, with a slight smile. I leaned over and put my arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug. Sometimes it dawned on me how young and innocent he actually was. He had no idea of the danger he was in, and I intended to keep it that way.

I quickly blinked away the tears that had begun to form in my eyes and pulled away from him.

"Ok, I think it's about time you got inside, before you freeze to death," I declared. We gut up and brushed mud and leaves off our pants.

"Wait, put this on!" I remembered, handing him the invisibility cloak. He obliged and threw the enormous cloak over his shoulders, suddenly disappearing from view. I lead the way out of the secluded section of the grounds, and to the castle. Once at the portrait, I muttered the password and entered.

"Don't pull off the cloak now. Go upstairs and then come downstairs and give it to Harry," I whispered so that only Adrien could hear me. I figured that it may be pretty alarming if the little boy appeared out of nowhere.

"How'd it go?" asked Ron as I collapsed on the couch beside him.

"It went fine. He understood and knows what to do," I told them. Seconds later, Adrien came bounding down the boys' stairs.

"Harry, is this yours?" he asked loudly, probably trying to be subtle. I just laughed quietly to myself.

"Er, yes. Thanks," said Harry with an amused smile, taking the cloak.

"Alright, see you guys later." he said with a grin. He left us and went to sit next to some first-years that were huddled by the fire.

"I'll be back in a sec," I said, jumping up and running upstairs to my room. I returned in a few minutes carrying an armful of looks. I definitely needed to get some studying done.

I plopped back down on the couch between Harry and Hermione, who was vigorously scribbling on a long scroll of parchment. I pulled out a stack of parchment myself, and started taking notes while I read my Runes textbook.

"Hey, I have a question for you!" said Harry quietly.

"Yeah, what's up?" I said, not looking up from my paper.

"What are you up to tomorrow?" he asked. I shot him a bemused look.

"Pretty much same as usual... studying..." I laughed, weakly. "Why do you ask?"

"Well tomorrow is Valentine's Day. There's a trip to Hogsmeade! I was wondering if you wanted to go," he said. My eyes widened. I was so stupid! I had been so caught up with my own issues that I had totally forgotten that tomorrow was Harry and my first Valentine's Day together.

"OH! Of course, Harry. I'm sorry I forgot," I said.

"No worries. I know you've got a lot on your mind right now. So, tomorrow at ten?" he asked.

"Sounds good!" I grinned. I leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek before turning back to my notes.

_Finally, something to look forward to_, I thought as I began translating a new set of Runes.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading this chapter! I can't believe I'm almost at 40 Chapters! :O! <strong>


	40. Chapter 40

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**CHAPTER 40? What? :O**

**Warning: very sappy, lovey-dovey, Valentine's Day chapter. Just so you know what you're getting yourself into :P**

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><p>It was early when I woke up the next morning. So early, in fact, that Hermione was the only person awake. I found her in the bathroom with her wand pointed at her head.<p>

"Hermione! What are you doing?" I demanded, yanking her hand away.

"I'm trying to do something with my hair! I'm going to Hogsmeade with Ron today and I can't go looking like this!" she cried. I glanced back into the bedroom, but the rest of the girls were still sound asleep.

"Ok, let me help you," I said, making her sit down on a chair that she conjured. I examined her bushy locks for a minute, before pulling out my own wand and tapping her on the head. She winced, and glanced into the mirror. She gasped in glee. Her frizzy mane was transformed into soft waves that cascaded down her back.

"Not too shabby," she joked. "Thanks!"

"See, Hermione this is why you let the pros handle these kinds of things," I said with a chuckle. Hermione and I started getting ready, seeing as we had a couple of hours until we had to meet the boys. Hermione helped me with my hair as well, and made it stick straight. I was enjoying the much needed girly time with Hermione. We looked through each other's trunks to find something to wear (as we obviously couldn't find anything in our own wardrobes...).

Finally, after much debate and outfit changing I finally settled on a pair of higher waisted jeans with a ruffled blouse, which I paired with a pair of warm dragon hide boots. Hermione put on a black jeans, which she paired with a tank top and blazer. She also put on her dragon hide boots. I hoped that we wouldn't look too dressed up, but it was Valentine's Day after all!

It was still too early to go downstairs and meet the boyfriends, so we sat in our room and helped Lavender and Parvati pick out their outfits. After much debate about whether Parvati should wear the heels or flats, they had finally picked out their outfits.

"How do I look?" she asked as she nervously stared at herself in the mirror.

"You look amazing, Hermione! Ron is going to flip!" I promised

It was exactly ten, so Hermione and I went downstairs. We wanted to make our grand entrances. Hermione went first. I waited for a few seconds, and then followed. Harry and Ron were waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs. Ron was locked in an embrace with Hermione, and didn't pay me any attention. Harry, on the other hand, looked transfixed. I could see a small smile on his lips as I made my way down the stairs.

"Ava..." he said, as I approached him. He seemed almost speechless. Huh! I knew I looked good... but not speechless good! Sweet!

"Harry," I responded, with a smile.

"You look...wow," muttered Harry.

"Thanks," I said, feeling my cheeks getting warm.

"Shall we go then?" said Ron from beside us, killing the moment. Harry seemed to snap out of his trance.

"Yeah, let's go," he said, grasping my hand.

The carriages, which were lined up right outside the gates, were crowded with hundreds of people. It seemed as though nobody was going to miss this trip to Hogsmeade. I saw Parvati and Lavender standing with their dates, as they complained about their feet hurting. That's what they get for wearing heels!

We managed to squirm our way through the crown to find a carriage, along with three Ravenclaw girls that were giggling about something. And we were off.

The ride was quick and soon we were standing in the bustling streets of Hogsmeade. It seemed as though the entire village had prepared for the throng of Hogwarts students. There were little flying hearts that were soaring through the streets, while shopkeepers were calling out about sales that they were having. Each store had decorated for the occasion as well. Everything seemed to be coloured pink or red.

"Shall we go to The Three Broomsticks?" asked Ron, clearly wanted to get away from the sea of squeaking girls.

"Yes, please," I said, as we started walking to our favourite pub. It was, as usual, filled with students. We found a free booth and sat down.

"Ron and I will get the drinks," offered Harry. Him and Ron went to the giant line at the bar. Once they were out of earshot, Hermione and I began whispering.

"You should have seen the look on Ron's face when I came down the stairs!" said Hermione excitedly.

"See, I told you! I'm pretty sure he would have flipped regardless of what you were wearing though. The boy is crazy about you!" I confirmed.

"Really? I honestly don't know sometimes! I mean we argue all the time!" she admitted.

"Hermione! Is that supposed to be news to me?" I said sarcastically, to which she just shrugged.

"I've known you two for a while now. You guys have been arguing for years! I didn't think that would change once you were in a relationship. I think the only difference now is that the making up part is a lot more fun," I laughed. She just rolled her eyes at me, but I saw the corners of her mouth twitch.

Just then, Harry and Ron came back, carrying mugs of delicious butterbeer. I drank deeply as soon as Harry put the mug in front of me.

"Thanks, Harry!" I said, after my gulp. Harry burst out laughing when he saw me.

"You've got some foam on your lip there," he said through his chuckles.

"Ha, ha, ha." I said, sarcastically. I grabbed a napkin and discreetly wiped my face clean. Just then, we heard a voice calling us.

"Hey guys!" said Ben, coming over from a table he was sharing with a group of seventh years.

"Ben! How's it going?" I asked, enthusiastically.

"Not bad. You?" he asked, politely.

"Doing ok!" I smiled. I scooted over to allow him to sit down with us for a minute. We started talking about his N.E.W.T.s which were coming up soon. As him and Hermione started discussing something about Ancient Runes class, I saw Cho Chang enter The Three Broomsticks. Perfect opportunity for some match making!

"Harry! Call Cho over here, will you?" I whispered.

"Why?" he asked confused.

"I want to introduce her to Ben!" I admitted. He smiled at my idea.

"CHO!" he called out. She glanced over and then whispered something to her friends who giggled. She walked over to us.

"Hello, Harry," she said, ignoring everyone else.

"Hey, Cho. How are you doing?" Harry asked.

"Oh, I'm doing alright I suppose," she said, as her cheeks turned red.

"That's good. Oh, how rude of me! You haven't met my friend Ben have you?" said Harry casually. I held back my laughter at his lame attempt at subtlety.

"Ben, this is Cho. Cho this is Ben," he said.

"Hi, Ben," she said timidly.

"Nice to meet you!" he said, shaking her hand. They began getting acquainted.

"Brilliant plan," whispered Harry.

"Why, thank you!" I smiled. Cho joined us at our table, though she didn't really pay any of any attention. She was too busy talking to Ben. After the butterbeers were all finished, we decided to leave. Ben and Cho decided to stay they.

"We'll see you guys later," I said to Hermione and Ron who decided to go their own way. Hand in hand, Harry and I walked through the streets.

"Hey, come this way," I said, pulling him towards a less crowded path. The path lead to the Shrieking Shack. I pulled him towards the rock that we had had our first kiss on so many months ago. I sat down and pulled him down beside me. I put my arms around him and snuggled into him, allowing him to rest his head on top of mine.

"I love you, Harry," I said quietly.

"I love you too, Ava!" he said into my hair.

"I can't believe the last time we were here was our first kiss," I mused.

"I know. What a disaster that was," he laughed.

"Tell me about it! Well, we ended up figuring it out in the end, though!" I replied, smiling to myself.

"Do you know how long I had been waiting to kiss you?" Harry asked me. I shook my head.

"I think it was that first time on the train. That first day that we met. I just don't think I understood at the time," said Harry softly, almost reminiscently.

"Well, I'm glad you finally got your act together and did it!" I joked, but I also sat up, so my face was level with his, and pulled him closer to me, allowing our lips to meet. I couldn't get over how lucky I had gotten. Harry could probably have picked any girl at Hogwarts, and yet somehow, he was sitting here with boring, old me. I pulled away from him.

"Can I ask you something?" I said, hesitantly.

"Anything," said Harry.

"Why... did you chose me? I mean... there are so many girls that..." I trailed off, realizing that my question sounded kind of stupid. I half expected Harry to laugh at me, but when I looked up at his face he was staring down at me seriously.

"You're special. So much more than any of those girls out there. You clearly don't see yourself very well. How could I pick another girl, when I found my perfect match on my first day?" he demanded. My cheeks were burning.

"Oh... I... don't know what to say. Boy am I glad I sat down in that compartment on the train," I chuckled. Harry joined me in my laughter. After we had composed ourselves, I glanced down at Harry's watch.

"Oh, crap. We should probably get going, or we're going to miss the carriages back!" I said, hopping off the rock and clasping my hand with his.

The cue for the carriages back was worse than the one coming here, seeing as we had to dodge angry shoppers who were trying to get into the stores that we were blocking.

After much pushing and shoving, we finally made it into a carriage. When we pulled up at Hogwarts we saw Ron and Hermione walking across the grounds, back to the castle.

"Ron! Hermione!" I called to them. They stopped and waited for Harry and I to catch up to them.

"So, how was your day?" I asked Hermione quietly, so the boys weren't able to hear me.

"Amazing. Thanks for pushing me to get together with Ron," said Hermione, happily. As we walked back to the castle, I noticed Ben and Cho walking together, their friends trailing behind them. They were chatting happily.

I couldn't help but feel a little bubble of happiness in my chest. Today had been a good day for love. Unfortunately, those happy feeling weren't going to last for very long...

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading!<strong>


	41. Chapter 41

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>The weeks that followed Valentine's Day were... demanding to say the least. Ben, Athena and I were taking our job of protecting Adrien very seriously. Every evening we were keeping watches on Adrien. Now I know that sounds a little bit creepy, but Adrien had a tendency to wander. Unfortunately, it was a necessary precaution. I also decided that it there was no more time to waste, in terms of Adrien's magical training. Since it was proving to be very difficult for Dumbledore to give us the lessons, I had been taking Adrien to the Room of Requirements every evening and helping him practice.<p>

The Room of Requirements had outdone itself this time. I stood outside, thinking that we needed a place to practice. After a few moments, an ancient looking wooden door appeared on the blank wall.

Inside was a forest. We were standing amidst hundreds of trees. There were little beams of moonlight streaming through the leaves. Through the little gaps in the treetops, I could see stars. This had become almost like a second home to us here in Hogwarts in the last few days. Since I couldn't really talk to Adrien anywhere else, we had been spending a lot of time here. We would bring our homework here and work in the little jungle we had created. Even Hermione had been coming here, saying that it was an excellent place to study.

We would lie about working on our studies, and as breaks, I would work with Adrien with the Element stuff. He was actually getting surprisingly good! About a week into these daily practice session, he had actually made it rain, much to the dismay of Hermione, who had several books spread out on the grassy floor. She quickly muttered a charm that dried off the papers.

Since that day, he was progressing incredibly. He was now able to make it rain on command. We had been trying out a few other things.

_We need a glass, we need a glass, we need a glass, _I thought. Suddenly I noticed an array of cups and mugs appeared on the ground beside a nearby tree. I held the mug, and told Adrien to fill it up with water. This was something I had ready about in my book about the Elements. Apparently, Water could not only control water, but produce it, similar to how I was able to grow flowers or trees.

He was still struggling with this skill, but then again, it was a difficult task. His tiny face was screwed up in concentration, but the only thing that happened was that a few drops of precipitation fell from the starry sky.

"Just focus your magic on the cup. Don't think so much about it!" I instructed. He nodded briefly, and locked his intense gaze on the cup in front of him. Maybe he was concentrating a little bit too hard, because the glass burst into pieces, sending shards around me. Luckily, it didn't cause any permanent damage. With one tap of Hermione's wand, the cuts on my hand were instantly healed.

"Sorry!" Adrien cried, sitting on a tree stump as Hermione patched me up.

"No worries, kid! See, all better," I promised, showing him my newly repaired hands. The poor kid looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"Maybe you should just call it a day," suggested Ben, who had decided to join us today.

"Yeah, I think you're right. Let's just work on our homework," I agreed. Adrien nodded glumly, and pulled out some parchment. I settled down against a thick tree trunk, and began comparing two star charts.

There was a soft, cool breeze in the forest that was blowing strands of my hair around my face. I was extremely comfortable sitting on the soft grass. I allowed myself to close my tired eyes for a few moments. I hadn't really had any time for sleep for the last few weeks and this was just too tempting. The tree seemed to be perfectly shaped to my back, and I started to drift off.

_ I was in a field. There was a strong wind that was causing my hair to whip around my face. I was walking barefoot through the long, wet grass. I hadn't been back to this place in my dreams for a while. It had changed slightly in my absence, though. It looked... darker, and more wild. The sky was a dark, stormy grey colour, and large drops of rain were falling around me. I heard a distant rumble of thunder. I looked around for a place to hide from the pouring rain, and in the distance I saw the forest. I started to sprint towards it. As I got closer, I saw a little boy standing in front of the trees. I stopped to observe. His eyes were rolling back into his head, and he seemed to be slightly levitated off the ground. His tiny arms were raised in the air, commanding the rain to come down even harder. _

_ I tried to call out to him, but my voice was lost in the howling wind. I picked up my pace again, and began to sprint faster than ever towards him. I was feet away from him, when I saw another person stroll out of the cover off the trees. _

_ Draco Malfoy's smirk was sickening. He had found out about Adrien. In the past, my dreams had served as a type of warning, almost. Could it be that this dream was just that? A warning? The ground below me started to rumble, and I was having trouble standing upright._

In reality I was actually being shaken awake. It had been a dream. I could feel relief spread through me, as I looked up at the worried faces that were surrounding me.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"You were muttering in your sleep," said Ben from my right.

"Oh, no big deal," I said, yawning.

"No, that's not the point! I've had the Marauders Map opened next to me, just to make sure that we hadn't been followed or anything. We've got trouble," said Hermione worriedly. I sat up straighter, and took the piece of parchment she was handing me.

Along the seventh floor corridor, right where the Room of Requirements would be (if you could see it on the Map, that is) was Umbridge, who was pacing back and forth.

"She's been there for a couple of minutes. What if she thinks the right thing and the door appears?" said Hermione, shrilly.

"Wait," I told her. I closed my eyes, and thought.

_We need a place that nobody else can enter, we need a place that nobody can enter, we need a __place that nobody else can enter, _I thought for a few seconds. Nothing appeared to happen, but I was willing to bet all the galleons in my vault at Gringotts that Umbridge would not be able to get into the room now.

"Ok, she shouldn't be able to enter now," I told Ben, Hermione and Adrien. They all looked relieved.

"Ok, so what do we do now?" asked Ben.

"I think we're going to have to wait until she gets bored and leaves," I said.

"But what if she makes one of her Inquisitorial Squad goons watch this hallway?" asked Hermione.

"I don't know. I guess we'll just have to hope that it doesn't come to that," I said, hopefully. We watched the map for few more minutes. Umbridge had stopped pacing outside the door, which made me think that she was sitting across from the wall, just waiting.

"I suggest we just do our work, and wait until she leaves. There's no sense in sitting and staring at the Map," I said. We all went back to our work, though I could tell that everyone was pretty tense. I placed the Map beside, and kept glancing it. Umbridge hadn't budged.

I tried my best to focus on the the Potions notes in front of me, but it was difficult to concentrate when I knew the old Ministry hag was sitting just feet away from us. With much difficulty, I managed to read a few paragraphs about cross-species transfiguration. After I had finished the section about transfiguration of different aquatic animals, I allowed myself to look at the map again. This time, Umbridge was gone from the seventh floor corridor.

"Guys! She's gone!" I cried. I looked through the Map and finally found her on the third floor talking to Filch. "She's on the third floor! We should get out of here quickly!" I suggested, packing up my books. The others did the same, and in two minutes we were ready to leave.

We walked briskly along the corridor. I sent Hermione and Adrien along another route back to the common room. It would be easier for Hermione to explain why she was with the first-year, as she was a prefect and could just say that she was helping the boy find with something. Ben and I took the route that went along the fifth floor. I continued to watch the Umbridge on the Map, who was now walking along the fourth floor.

I was watching her so intently, that I didn't even realize the person right behind us.

"Oi! I found them!" yelled Crabbe. "You two are coming with me!" he said in his slow, stupid voice. Ben and I glanced at each other. I considered running for it but that wouldn't solve anything at all.

"Where are we going?" I asked defiantly.

"Professor Umbridge would like to have a word," he said. He grabbed a hold of my arm and started walking towards her office. Ben followed behind me silently. I handed Ben the Map while Crabbe's back was turned to us, and Ben whispered '_mischief managed_', clearing the parchment of the tiny moving dots. He pocketed the paper as we continued to walk down the hallway.

Crabbe knocked on Umbridge's office door.

"Come in," said a sweet voice from inside.

"Professor, I got these two walking down the fifth floor! I was standing behind a suit of armour and I found 'em," said Crabbe, who seemed extremely proud of himself.

"Good work, dear,. You may leave now," said Umbridge, dismissing Crabbe.

"Now, you two. Where were you coming from? Another meeting with Dumbledore?" she demanded, every pretence of sweetness gone.

"No, Professor," I said, feigning surprise. "I was getting some help from Ben on a transfiguration assignment," I lied.

"Oh, so why did one of the members of my Inquisitorial Squad see you two, along with Ms. Granger and Mr. Morgan walking around the hallway," she said.

"I don't know, Professor. Ava and I were in an empty classroom, working on my assignment. I don't think we saw anyone else on our way there," said Ben, shooting her a bemused look.

"Don't lie to me!" she shouted angrily. "I know you were doing to see Dumbledore!"

"What are you talking about! Dumbledore's office isn't even on the seventh floor!" I cried. Umbridge's toad-like face was pink with rage. She crossed the room towards me, and pulled out her wand, which she proceeded to point at my throat.

"Where were you going?" she demanded again. As she had finished her question the door of her office flew open. I looked over at the person standing in the doorway, and immediately felt relief. Dumbledore was standing there, wand drawn, looking utterly terrifying.

"I suggest pointing your wand away from my student, Dolores," he said in a calm, but deadly voice. She immediately complied, and dropped from me.

"I'm going to find out what you're up to Dumbledore. If it's the last thing I do. Your time at Hogwarts is about to end," she snarled.

"And until that time, I am still the Headmaster of this institution. I will not tolerate you mistreating my students," he said, authoritatively.

"I know these two were in your office this afternoon. What was the nature of your meeting?" she demanded, disregarding his statement.

"Mr. Lewis and Miss Alexander have not been in my office. I have spent the last hour in my office, having tea with Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape. If you would like, I can summon them. I am sure they would be more than happy to confirm my whereabouts," said Dumbledore politely. She looked aghast. She seemed to be trying to formulate some kind of intelligent response, but that was obviously proving to be difficult.

"Soon enough, Dumbledore, I will find out what you're up to. Soon enough," she said, finally.

"I wish you luck with your endeavours. I have business to attend to now, so if you will excuse me, I must leave. I believe Miss Alexander and Mr. Lewis were on their way somewhere as well. You may leave," he told us, giving us a small nod. We gladly picked up our things and left the room in a hurry.

"Good day," I heard Dumbledore say, before exiting Umbridge's office as well. He smiled at us briefly, before walking off in the opposite direction.

We walked in silence back to the common room for fear of being overheard. When we reached the common room, our friends were sitting and waiting for us. They all looked worried. Harry was the first to notice we were back. As soon as he saw me he jumped up and ran towards me. He gave me a rib-cracking hug.

"Where were you?" he demanded, after letting me go.

"Umbridge's office. I was too worried about seeing where she was that I didn't see Crabbe coming up behind us," I explained. Hermione gasped loudly, while Ron eyes widened. I saw Harry's jaw clench.

"What did she do?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"She seemed to think we had been in Dumbledore's office. She pulled her wand on Ava," said Ben.

"What?" said Harry loudly, causing everyone in the common to turn and look at us. I shushed him.

"She pulled her wand, but then Dumbledore showed up and saved us," I explained. Harry calmed down a little bit.

"Oh. Alright. Are you ok?" he asked me, taking my hand in his.

"I'm fine, Harry," I said, ruffling his hair with my free hand.

"So, what did she say when Dumbledore came in?" asked Hermione curiously.

"Well, she asked him why we had been in his office, and then she told him that his time at Hogwarts was almost over! Do you really think the Ministry can do that?" I asked quietly.

"The Ministry can ultimately remove a Headmaster if they're seen as unfit. With you-know-who's return and Dumbledore's outspokenness about it, they could claim that he's going mad," said Hermione sadly.

"Umbridge said that it would happen soon. What are we going to do if Dumbledore leaves?" I asked, suddenly feeling weak.

"I don't know. The only reason that Adrien is safe at Hogwarts is the fact that Dumbledore is here. If he's kicked out, it'll be a disaster," said Ron. Ben and I sat down beside them, solemnly, trying to figure out what we were going to do if Dumbledore left.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! <strong>


	42. Chapter 42

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**Hello, everyone! So, I have a ton of ideas and all of them are pointing to this story ending in the next few chapters. However, I am having far too much fun writing, so I have decided that I will be writing a SEQUEL! :O I'll start it as soon as I am finished this story, as I really want to get into it before summer is over. Once I am back at university it is going to be tough to post as often as I do now, so I want to get a lot of the sequel done before I have to go back! **

**Anyway, now on to this chapter! Enjoy!**

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><p>After the incident in her office, Umbridge was keeping a closer watch on us than ever before. The next couple of months became torturous! She even had her spies watching us. Unfortunately for her, her spies weren't exactly the brightest students at Hogwarts. I mean, how could she expect trolls like Crabbe and Goyle to be sneaky. It was almost too easy for us to spot her minions so we were able to avoid them.<p>

What we weren't able to avoid were the detentions. Umbridge was taking every opportunity she saw to hand out detentions to those of us that she suspected. After an especially memorable lesson, she even gave Hermione a detention! Yes, Hermione _Granger_! Her reason was that Hermione was asking too many questions and needed to learn self-restraint. I have never seen Hermione as angry as she was later that evening in the Gryffindor common room.

"What a foul... I've never... I've had it!" she muttered to herself, suddenly getting off the couch and storming upstairs to our bedroom. It looked like Hermione was going to join Harry, Ron, Ben and I in detention tonight.

I wasn't scared of Umbridge though. I didn't care how many detentions she was going to give me. Accompanied with the Invisibility Cloak and the Marauders Map, Adrien and I continued our practice sessions. It was easy enough for the both of us to fit under the cloak, so we were relatively safe from being caught.

Harry wasn't happy about our practice sessions though and kept trying to convince me not to go. Literally every single night he would tell me to stay behind, but I couldn't. Harry just didn't seem to understand how important this was! In hindsight, I'm sure he did understand. I think he just hated when I got detention with Umbridge because of her pen that wrote in blood.

Even with his extreme trepidation, he still gave me the cloak and map every night. Since quidditch was over now I had a lot more time on my hands. Every evening after dinner Adrien and I would head to the Room of Requirements and practice together. He was doing brilliantly. He was managing to fill up a cup with water now with ease.

Tonight was no exception. I had only agreed to a very short practice session tonight as the O.W.L.s were in only a WEEK! His practice session was productive. I didn't want to try anything new because we didn't have enough time, so we just worked on the same kind of stuff.

After about half an hour we called it a night. I threw the cloak over our heads and we quietly snuck back to the common room. We couldn't very well take the cloak off in the middle of the common room so we went up to Adrien's dorm. He went downstairs first, while I went to Harry's room to drop off the cloak and map.

I went and collected my giant bag full of parchment and books and headed back to the common room. I collapsed onto the couch beside Harry, who I greeted with a light peck on the lips.

"How was the practice?" asked Ron in a hushed tone.

"Not bad. Didn't really do much, thought! These damn O.W.L.s are going to be the death of me!" I sighed in exasperation. Ron just chuckled quietly at my overdramatic statement.

"Hilarious," said Hermione dryly. "I think we should get to work thought."

"Yes, ma'am," I said, with a little salute. We were working on Herbology right now. Hermione began quizzing me on the various uses of bubotuber pus. I nearly got all of them! Hermione was certainly not as pleased as I was.

"Avery! The O.W.L.s are in a week! As in seven days! How can you not know this!" she cried, standing up and stamping her foot.

"Relaxxxxx Hermione! I'm going to be alright! I only got one wrong, and they never care about the use of bubotuber pus in make up and hair products!" I cried back, almost laughing at the ridiculousness of the argument. She calmed down a little bit, and she sat down slowly.

"Ok, are you alright now?" I asked with a smirk.

"Yes. Ok, now you ask me a question!" she demanded, the little fight forgotten. I pulled out my textbook and found a question.

"Explain the commercial uses of dittany," I asked. She quickly recited several uses. If you thought Hermione reacted badly when I got a question wrong, it was nothing compared to when she got something wrong. I hesitated for a moment, and braced myself.

"Er, Hermione. You forgot to mention the use of dittany in some types of cleaning products," I whispered. Her eyes went wide and she ripped the book out of my hand.

"How could I forget that! What a stupid mistake! Of course it's used in cleaning products!" she wailed, burying her head in her hands.

"Babe, it's not a big deal. It's only one thing! You still got most of the answer right!" said Ron, obviously trying to help. I could tell that he wasn't going to do any good.

"It's not a big deal?" she yelled, throwing the book down on the couch and storming upstairs. She was so angry that I was surprised that she wasn't foaming at the mouth. I sighed loudly, and put my stuff on the couch too.

"What did I say?" asked Ron, cluelessly.

"It's not about you, Ron. She's just stressed. She'll get over it!" I told him, as I walked up the girls' stairs. I knocked softly at the door to our room, and then pushed it open.

Hermione was lying on her bed, with her face buried in the pillows. I could hear her sniffing.

"Mione, are you ok?" I asked, sitting down at the edge of her bed. I was never good at this sort of thing, so I wasn't sure what to say. She mumbled inaudibly into the pillows.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked. She rolled over with her eyes red and her face covered in tears.

"What's the matter?" I said, leaning over and giving her a tight hug.

"It's just too much! There's just so much to do, and I feel like I don't know anything!" she sobbed into my shoulder.

"Hermione, you realize you're crazy right? We both know you're going to do so well! Why are you freaking out like this?" I asked.

"I don't know. There's just so much going on... Ron and I have been fighting," she sighed, pulling out of the hug.

"Aw, Mione. What are you fighting about?" I said. She gave me a half shrug.

"Everything. Things like what just happened. He always acts like everything will be alright and will work out in the end. He doesn't even care about how worried I am about my exams," she admitted.

"This is Ron you're talking about. When has he ever been good in emotional situations? I just think he's trying to make you feel better, but doesn't know how," I told her.

"Really? Do you really think I'm being crazy?" she asked quietly.

"Honestly, I do think you're absolutely nuts. You know that I love you, but you have to relax a little bit. All this stress is not going to help you in any way. If anything, it's going to hurt you. Look! You're fighting with Ron, you're getting answers wrong," I said. Hermione buried her face in her hands again.

"You're right. I know you are... I just don't know how to relax!" she said, through a new wave of sobs.

"Ok, how about this. Take a break. Go for a walk with Ron and just take some time off from studying and worrying. Once you've calmed down, come back and do some more work. You're not going to get anything done when you're in this state," I instructed.

"Fine. I'll go for a walk. Thanks, Ava," she said, giving me another hug before getting up and walking downstairs. I followed closely behind her.

"Ron, do you want to go for a walk?" she asked. Ron's face dropped slightly, but he got up and followed her through the portrait hole.

"What was that about?" asked Harry as I took a seat beside him again.

"Oh, Hermione just needs to spend some time with her boyfriend," I informed him. I took this time alone to snuggle up with him.

"Ah, ok. I think Ron thought that Hermione was going to break up with him," said Harry with a laugh.

"Oh! That's why he looked so disappointed to go for a walk with her," I said, with a giggle.

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><p><strong>Ron POV<strong>

"Ron, do you want to go for a walk?" asked Hermione, coming down the staircase. Her eyes were red and puffy, so she had obviously been crying. Why was she asking to go for a walk though?

_She's finally come to her senses! She's going to break up with me! _I thought, miserably . I followed her nonetheless. She stepped out of the portrait hole and started walking down the hallway.

"Where are we going?" I asked nervously.

"Just for a walk. I needed to talk a break," she said, interlocking her fingers with mine. I breathed a sigh of relief, gripped her hand tightly.

"Oh, alright," I replied.

"Listen Ron, I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier. And I'm sorry I've been so unbearable lately. I'm just really stressed out," she said, stopping in her tracks and turning to face me. I let go of her hand and snaked my arms around her waist. She put her arms around my shoulders and rested her head on my chest.

"I know you are. You don't have to apologize. I was just trying to make you feel better. I honestly have no idea what to say in a situation like that," I told her.

"Yeah, Ava made me see that," she muttered. I would have to remember to thank her later. I stood there for a few more moments, just holding her and then pulled away.

"Come on!" I said, taking her hand. I pulled her down the hallway and down the stairs. I lead her down several flights, until we were in the basement. I hurried over to a painting of a bowl of fruit, and tickled the pear. It suddenly turned into a door knob. I pushed open the door and we were standing in the kitchen.

"Harry Potter's friends!" said a voice from behind us. Dobby the house elf was standing there, staring up at us with a look of delight in his enormous eyes.

"Dobby! How are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm doing well, sir. What can Dobby do for you?" he asked politely.

"I was wondering if you could give us some food... for a picnic?" I asked, glancing at my girlfriend for a second. She was wearing a small smile.

"Of course, sir," he said, rushing away. He returned in minutes carrying a large basket.

"Thanks Dobby!" I said gratefully.

"You are welcome, sir. Tell Harry Potter that Dobby says hi!" he called, as I pulled Hermione out of the kitchen. We went back up the stairs and I dragged her to the astronomy tower. I figured this would be the best place to avoid being caught by Umbridge.

Once we got up there, I quickly unpacked the basket of food. Dobby had packed us a bunch of sandwiches and a jug of pumpkin juice. I sat down on the ground, and Hermione took a seat beside me.

"Thanks for this, Ron," whispered Hermione. I turned to face her and before I could respond, her lips met mine. She put her arms around my shoulders and her hands tangled in my hair. I locked my arms around her waist, and kissed her back. I parted her lips with my tongue and deepened the kiss.

I suddenly lost my balance, and fell forward, pushing her down with me. I burst out laughing as I lay on top of her. She laughed with me for a second before raising her head and kissing me again. Her hands found their way under my shirt and soon, it was lying on the ground beside us.

Our picnic lay forgotten.

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><p><strong>Hey. This chapter was just kind of a "filler" chapter. I still need to work out some stuff for the next few chapters, but I was in the mood to write something so that's what this was! Hope you enjoyed it! I really love Ron and Hermione together, and that's why I put the scene in at the end, rather than a Harry and Ava scene! Anyway, thanks!<strong>


	43. Chapter 43

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**Yay! Chapter 43!**

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><p>"Oh gosh. Oh GOSH! I know I'm going to fail everything! They're going to make me repeat fifth year, aren't they?" Hermione ranted hysterically.<p>

"Hermione..." I said, but she paid no attention. The two of us were sitting in our bedroom right now, as I tried to talk some sense into Hermione. It was her third panic attack this week. They'd been getting worse since tomorrow was the first day of O.W.L.s. The boys were at a loss of what to do in the presence of a crying girl so I had to step in and deal with Hermione.

"They're going to take away my wand! I'm going to have to live as a muggle!" she cried dramatically.

"Hermione..." I tried again.

"And I'm going to have to get a job as an accountant!" she sobbed. I grabbed a hold of my friends shoulders and shook her viciously. It seemed to shock her, and the crying ceased.

"Hermione Jean Granger. If you don't calm the hell down I am going to get Ron and Harry to drag you off to the hospital wing. I doubt Madam Pomfrey will let you do any last minute studying in there," I threatened. Her eyes went wide, and she instantly dried off her tears.

"Alright. I'm ok now. Thanks," she said. She picked herself off the bed and skipping downstairs. I stared at her in disbelief... she had been weeping just seconds ago. It was almost laughable. I rolled my eyes and left the room behind her. She had resumed her seat beside a wary looking Ron. I took my own seat beside Harry and turned my attention back to my work.

By the end of the night there had been no more incidents with Hermione (thankfully). I had managed to finish reviewing my stack of notes for a fifth time. The words were starting to blur together on the page, so I decided it was finally time to call it a night.

"Ok, I'm off to bed. I just can't look at my Charms notes for another minute," I declared. I said a quick goodnight to my friends before trudging upstairs. My head was aching and my eyes felt dry and itchy. I absentmindedly changed into my pyjamas and fell onto my bed.

In what felt like seconds (though in reality it was nearly eight hours) I was being shaken, rather vigorously, awake.

"What's going on?" I asked stupidly.

"Get up! We have our Charms exam in an hour!" Hermione said shrilly. I rolled out of my bed and started getting ready. I threw on a set of clean robes and ran my brush through my hair before following Hermione to the Great Hall. Harry and Ron were already there, looking much more cheerful than Hermione or me (I was still partially asleep).

We ate breakfast silently, and before I knew it, we were being ushered out of the Great Hall. The fifth years had to wait in the Entrance Hall. Soon enough, Professor McGonagall exited the Great Hall and called us inside. The four large house tables had been replaced with hundreds of individual desks. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I selected some desks in the centre of the Hall. There were exam papers on our tables, face down so we couldn't see the questions yet.

The examiner began telling us about the consequences of cheating. I zoned out completely. Instead I was focusing on slowing down my pounding heart. I had felt prepared this morning while we were at breakfast, but as soon as I sat down I was suddenly filled with doubt. I tried to remember anything I had learned all year, but I couldn't recall ANYTHING!

"You may begin," said the examiner. My hand shook slightly as I flipped over the exam booklet. I stared at the first question.

_Describe the function of a Supersensory Charm. _

I felt relief spread through me, and a smile appeared on my face as I started writing the answer. The rest of the questions were just as easy as the first one. I double checked my answers and handed in my paper before most people were done. I stood outside the Great Hall. Minutes later, Hermione exited the Hall as well.

"SO?" I asked.

"It was easier than I expected. I hope I did alright," said Hermione, with a small smile. I just chuckled and gave her a tight hug. We went back to the common room to do some last minute practicing for the practical exam which was later that day. Harry and Ron soon joined us in common room, both looking rather pleased with themselves.

We all practiced for a few hours until it was lunchtime. Then, after a tense lunch, we all lined up to be tested. It went reasonably well. I was happy with my performance, and went upstairs happily.

The rest of the two weeks of exams went relatively well. I had a little bit of trouble with my Arithmancy exam, but I definitely wasn't the only person. Poor Justin Finch-Fletchley exited the exam room looking quite pale, and little Hannah Abbot's eyes were red with tears.

Defence Against The Dark Arts had been... interesting. Since Umbridge hadn't allowed us to use spells in her class, Harry, Ron, Hermione and I had spent several days in the Room of Requirements working on the spells. I couldn't help but give Umbridge a snide smirk on my way out of the exam room.

Potions went fine. Better than I expected, especially since we didn't have Snape breathing down our necks the entire time. My Wit-Sharpening Potion was slightly thicker than it should have been, but other than that, it wasn't bad!

Transfiguration was probably my best subject! I did everything perfectly in the practical exam and I whizzed through the written. I saw McGonagall giving me an tiny smile as I left my practical exam.

All in all, the exams went well enough. On the very last day I had History of Magic. I had a lot of trouble concentrating through that one. I was fighting to stay awake for the entire exam. After what seemed like hours the examiner said that the exam was over. He collected the papers, and the entire Hall cheered loudly. I could help but join in. I gave Harry a tight hug, and then Ron, Hermione, Harry and I left the Great Hall and went back to the common room.

As soon as we got upstairs we collapsed on the couch, feeling more cheerful and relaxed than we had in weeks. Even Hermione wasn't talking about exams or studying. She was lying across the couch with her head on Ron's lap and a relaxed smile on her face.

I wasn't sure what to do with myself now that exams were over and I didn't have to think about it anymore. I decided that this would be the perfect time to spend some quality time with Harry, since I felt like I hadn't really talked to him in weeks.

"Harry! Let's go for a walk or something!" I suggested. He agreed and we strolled through the castle hand in hand. We didn't really have a destination so we just ended up walking through the halls, talking animatedly about summer. This seemed like the first time that the year was ending on a high. Every other year had ended with something tragic.

"So you still have to go back to the Dursley's house?" I asked.

"Yeah, Dumbledore says that I have to return at first. I'm going to go back to Ron's house as soon as I can," said Harry.

"That's unfortunate, but at least it'll only be for a short time. I'm going back to stay with Gran and Dylan for a few weeks and then Ron's invited me to his house as well!" I explained. Harry smiled happily.

"That's good. I was beginning to worry about when I was going to see you," he admitted.

"Don't worry. You'll get to see me in no time at all! And I'll write to you whenever I can," I promised. We had somehow ended up walking outside. The weather was fantastic, so we decided to stay outdoors for a while. We went to my garden and sat against the tree, just talking and laughing.

Eventually, it started getting dark and we decided that we should get back to the castle. We entered the Entrance Hall and were greeted by quite a ruckus.

In the centre of the Entrance Hall were Fred and George, who were floating a few above the ground on their broomsticks. Umbridge was yelling up at them, her toad-like face screwed up in rage.

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion from the Great Hall. Everyone, including Umbridge, hurried to see the source of the noise. It was truly a spectacular sight. There were massive fireworks of every colour exploding all throughout the Great Hall.

Umbridge gave a shriek of rage and turned towards the twins.

"You did this! Stop this immediately!" she demanded. The twins simply laughed.

"I don't think we will. What do you think, Fred?" asked George.

"Definitely not. I think we've outgrown full-time education," said Fred.

"I've been feeling that way myself," said George. If possible, Umbridge looked even more angry than before.

"Time to test out talents in the real world, do you reckon?" asked Fred.

"Definitely," George responded. With that, they rose even higher on their brooms and exited through a nearby window. Just as they left, there was another set of explosions. We all turned to see a dragon-firework flying through the Great Hall. Umbridge let out an outraged scream.

Harry and I took this as our cue to leave. We walked back to the common room clutching our sides with laughter. We walked through the portrait hole.

"You guys will never believe what just happened!" I said to Ron, Hermione and Ben who were sitting in the common room.

They turned to face me slowly. Hermione's face was covered in tears, while Ron and Ben were wearing matching looks of distress.

"What's going on?" Harry asked immediately, rushing to where they were sitting.

"Adrien... he's been taken," said Hermione in a small voice.

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><p><strong>:O? Hope you enjoyed the little cliff hanger! Don't worry, you'll find tomorrow in the next chapter! Thanks for reading!<strong>


	44. Chapter 44

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**Sorry it took me a couple of days to get this chapter out. This has honestly been the hardest chapter to write because there are so many details that have to be worked out... and I also have to make sure everything will flow well with sequel. I definitely rewrote this chapter about five times :P **

**Anyway, thanks for reading!**

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><p>"Hermione... what do you mean, taken?" I said slowly, trying to keep my voice steady. I still wasn't able to keep a slight tremble out of my tone.<p>

"Ron and I were in the common room after you left. We were just sitting on the couch when Ben and Athena came in. He asked us if we'd seen Adrien anywhere, but we hadn't. He got worried and asked a few of the first-years who admitted they hadn't seen him since yesterday. Athena's with Dumbledore right now telling him what's going on," she explained, through her sobs.

"I'm going to Dumbledore's office," I said immediately. Harry grabbed a hold of my hand, but I pushed him away.

"Ava, what if Umbridge sees you going to Dumbledore's office? It's not going to help anything,. Athena's already there. They'll let you know when they need you," said Harry, gently.

"I don't care! Adrien's missing! Because of us! Because of me! For what? A History of Magic exam?" I cried before pushing my way through a group of third-years and leave through the portrait hole. I heard footsteps behind me and I turned to see Ben jogging behind me.

I sprinted through the hallway, with Ben at my heel, to the statue of the gargoyle. I said the password, but the gargoyle didn't budge. Dumbledore must have changed the password since I had last been here. I let out an exasperated sigh. I decided to start guessing.

"Licorice wands... toffee eclair... fizzing whizbee..." suddenly the gargoyle leapt aside, allowing me entrance. I thankfully ran up the staircase and hammered on the door. I didn't even wait to be invited in before throwing open the door. Athena was sitting in a chair in front of Dumbledore's desk, while the Headmaster was standing over a large stone basin, staring thoughtfully at its contents.

"Professor Dumbledore! What are we going to do?" I demanded, panting slightly from the run.

"Avery, Ben, please take a seat. I must think," he said quietly, gesturing to a chair that he had just conjured for me. I sat down restlessly, waiting for the Headmaster to say SOMETHING! Minutes passed, and nobody spoke. Finally, I couldn't contain myself any longer.

"Say something! Adrien has been _taken_! Because we brought him here!" I cried, feeling the tears finally leaking out of my eyes, and falling down my face.

"I know, Ava. We will act. Adrien will not be harmed. No, he is much too valuable to Voldemort," Dumbledore assured me calmly, choosing to ignore my outburst. I sat back down and stared out the large open window of the office. Somewhere out there was Adrien, who was probably terrified. My thoughts were interrupted by a loud bang behind me.

Institutionally, I stood up and pulled out my wand, which I pointed to the source of the noise, which sounded like it was coming from outside the office door. I glance over to my side and saw that Ben and Athena were standing too, though their wands were not drawn. Dumbledore merely looked at the door in interest.

The great wood door exploded off the hinges. Chunks of wood flew towards us. I threw my hands over my eyes, waiting for impact of the wood, but nothing touched me. Athena, thinking quickly, sent a massive gust of wind through the window, deflecting the debris from us. As soon as I realized I wasn't going to be impaled, I raised my wand again.

Standing in the doorway was none other than Umbridge, who was followed by several members of her Inquisitorial Squad, including Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.

"Put your wand down, you stupid girl," said Umbridge. When I didn't, she pulled out her own wand and muttered something. My wand flew from my hand. She had just disarmed me!

"So, Dumbledore. Are you ready to tell me the meaning of this meeting?" she asked, with a nasty smile.

"That is not your concern, Dolores. And I will not tolerate the use of magic against my students. Avery, you may get your wand," said Dumbledore.

"Stay where you are," she shrieked, as I went to retrieve my wand. Umbridge was pointing her wand straight at me. I froze where I was standing.

"Now, Dumbledore. I will only ask you once more to tell me what you are up to," said Umbridge.

"I have been very patient with your presence at Hogwarts this year, Dolores, but I am afraid you have overstayed your welcome," said Dumbledore. The twinkle in his eye was no longer present. Instead, Dumbledore was now wearing a dangerously grave expression.

"Overstayed _my _welcome?" she cried, with a humourless laugh. "Dumbledore! The Minister of Magic is currently in the castle. I alerted him earlier when one of the Inquisitorial Squad saw Ms. Caras coming to your office," said Umbridge. Dumbledore's expression didn't change.

"Ah, Cornelius is here. Of course. Then let us sit and wait for him to arrive, but I must insist that you lower your wand," said Dumbledore. Umbridge reluctantly lowered her wand, and Dumbledore conjured her a chair.

The goons stood behind her awkwardly. Actually, the whole room was filled with awkward tension. Nobody was speaking, though Dumbledore was whistling quietly to himself. After a couple of minutes of silence we heard footsteps coming up the stairs to Dumbledore's office.

Cornelius Fudge entered the office, accompanied by two Aurors, looking slightly red in the face. It looked as if he had sprinted all the way from the Ministry of Magic by the way he was wiping his sweaty face with his handkerchief.

"Cornelius, please have a seat," said Dumbledore, pleasantly.

"Dumbledore, this is no time for pleasantries! I have come here to remove you from Hogwarts! I have been wary about how you have been running this school for a long time now. This just cannot continue. People will not stand for it!" he cried.

"Be reasonable Cornelius. This is what you are concerning yourself with? When there are numerous disappearances and murders happening everyday? If you are not willing to admit that Lord Voldemort has returned at least take logical steps to prevent them. Instead, you are here, trying to remove me from Hogwarts with no grounds," said Dumbledore, outraged.

"Now see here Dumbledore!" started Fudge.

"No, Cornelius. You are here to remove me from Hogwarts because I was having a meeting with two students and an assistant of the school. You know as well as I do that you cannot remove me on that basis. I suggest you leave here at once. I am sure you have much more pressing matters," said Dumbledore calmly.

"But – but – I..." stuttered Fudge. It seemed that Dumbledore had stumped him. It was clear that Dumbledore had won the argument. Fudge turned on his heel and left the office. Umbridge started to walk towards the door as well.

"Oh, Dolores. I must ask you to stay for a moment longer. I cannot allow someone to teach at my school if they are willing to use magic against students. I am afraid I am going to have to request that you leave Hogwarts. I must ask that you pack your belongings and leave Hogwarts," he said seriously.

"You're firing me? I was Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic!" she cried.

"I am aware of that, but you have used magic against a student and I cannot condone that. Now if you hurry, you may be able to catch Cornelius before he leaves. Perhaps he can accompany you back to London," suggested Dumbledore. She gave him a look of loathing before pushing past her Inquisitorial Squad and storming down the stairs.

"You may also leave," said Dumbledore to the Squad. They turned to leave. Before Malfoy left however, he looked right at me, with his sickening smirk, and winked. There was something smug about that wink. It really bugged me for some reason, but I couldn't figure out what it was.

After everyone but Ben, Athena and I had left, Dumbledore repaired the door with a flick of his wand. Once it was repaired, it swung shut.

"I need to think about the situation and figure out a plan. I suggest you all go back to your respective quarters. I will send you a letter once there is a plan in place," said Dumbledore. We quietly left his office and walked down the stairs. At the foot of the staircase we saw that the stone gargoyle statue had been blasted aside. That was obviously the loud bang we had heard before Umbridge had come into the office.

We parted ways with Athena, before Ben and I continued to the common room. We didn't really say anything while we were walking. We were both absorbed by our thoughts. When we entered the common room to see that everyone was in the same position we left them in. Ron and Hermione were sitting on the couch, staring into the fire, while Harry was leaning against a nearby table. As soon as they saw us enter the common room, they all stood up and rushed over to us.

"So? What happened?" asked Hermione.

"We went there and Umbridge showed up. She apparently contacted Fudge when one of those bloody Inquisitorial Squad idiots saw Athena going to see Dumbledore earlier!" explained Ben. They all gasped.

"What happened?" said Ron.

"Well, Umbridge came into the office and disarmed Ava, as she had drawn her wand. Anyway, Fudge came and tried to fire Dumbledore but then Fudge really didn't have a reason except that Dumbledore was having a meeting with some students, so he had to leave. Dumbledore fired Umbridge though, for using magic against a student," I finished.

"What? She's gone?" said Harry with wide eyes.

"Yeah. She's packing her stuff as we speak!" I exclaimed.

"That's amazing news! What did he say about Adrien?" asked Ron.

"Well, he reckons that Adrien hasn't been harmed as he's too valuable. He told us he would let us know when he's figured out a plan," Ben replied.

"Oh. Alright," said Ron, disappointed.

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, I think I need some rest... I'll see you lot in the morning," I said, squeezing Harry's hand tightly, before going up to my room. I changed into my pyjamas and curled up in my bed.

I started thinking about today and how quickly everything had become terrible. I thought about the meeting in Dumbledore's office and the scene with Umbridge. I allowed myself a small smile when I thought about the look on her toad face as she was leaving the office. My thoughts went to Malfoy, and the little wink he had given me on the way out of the office. I couldn't explain why it irked me so much. There was just something so smug... and triumphant about it...

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. Voldemort wouldn't be keeping Adrien just anywhere. It would have to be in a location that he would trust one of the most valuable weapons he could have. Where better to hide it than the house of a trusted friend – or Death Eater in this case. A trusted Death Eater like Lucius Malfoy perhaps?

It seemed so obvious now! Of course Adrien was at the Malfoy Manor! It was the only place! He would have to keep Adrien happy and healthy so that he would want to fight on their side! Obviously, Voldemort would equate happiness to a large house or lots of money, and that was what the Malfoys would be able to provide.

I leapt out of bed and sprinted down the staircase, back to the common room. My friends were still there, talking in hushed tones.

"Guys! I know where Adrien is!" I hissed as I approached them. They all looked shocked.

"What do you mean? How?" demanded Harry.

"It was something Malfoy did. He winked at me as he was leaving and there was something about it that really bugged me, though I couldn't put my finger on it at the time. He was winking to tell me that he had won! They're keeping Adrien at Malfoy Manor!" I whispered.

"That would fit," said Hermione slowly.

"It has to be! I need to go back to Dumbledore's office!" I exclaimed.

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><p><strong>AHH! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you wouldn't mind, I would love to hear your feedback on the things you're liking with the series and the things that you don't like. It's just important now that I'm going to be thinking about the sequel and stuff! Thanks a bunch! <strong>


	45. Chapter 45

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**Almost over! Just a few more chapters! Hope you enjoy!**

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><p>For the second time that evening I found myself sprinting to Dumbledore's office. I wasn't worried about being caught anymore by a teacher. I was sure that any of the Hogwarts Professors wouldn't argue with me if I said I needed to see Dumbledore.<p>

When I reached the office, the gargoyle statue was still in pieces so I didn't have to waste time guessing the password. I banged on the door and pushed it open. Dumbledore was sitting in his office chair staring into the fire. When I entered, Dumbledore glanced curiously at the door.

"Miss Alexander. How can I help you?" he asked with concern.

"Sir, I think I know where Adrien is being kept!" I exclaimed.

"Yes?" he asked in mild surprise.

"I think he's being kept at the Malfoy Manor!" I told him.

"Why do you suspect this?" he asked seriously.

"It was something that Malfoy did on his way out of your office earlier. He winked, but it was really triumphant. It really bugged me for some reason and when I thought about it I realized he was trying to tell me that he had won. I'm sure he has something to do with it," I explained.

"Yes, I believe you are right. I admit I did suspect it myself. The Malfoys are among Lord Voldemort's most trusted Death Eaters, and they have the highest level of protection on their property. Therein lies our problem," he said.

"So the problem is that we have no way of getting into the house?" I clarified.

"It is an issue, yes. But it is not impossible. People like the Malfoys, who are so concerned with the pureness and superiority of blood, do not tend to think about protecting those that are below them, such as servants. I believe the only point of entrance is through the house elves' quarters," said Dumbledore.

"Ok, so what are we going to do then?" I asked.

"I have been considering the options. I believe that Ben, Athena and you will have to go. Your powers will be incredibly important in rescuing Adrien," said Dumbledore. I felt a knot start to form in the pit of my stomach.

"Are any of the Order members going to come with us?" I asked nervously.

"It will be impossible to bring an army, as our most fundamental defence is stealth. However, I will accompany you to the Malfoy Manor," he said. I felt relief spread through my entire body, and my pounding heart slowed down slightly.

"Alright. When do we leave then?" I asked.

"Come back to my office in thirty minutes. Borrow Harry's invisibility cloak. And if you wouldn't mind, please explain the situation to Athena on your way back to the Gryffindor common room," he requested. I nodded in agreement and left.

I headed straight towards the teachers' quarters. I rapped on Athena's door loudly, and waited. After a few moments, a groggy looking Athena opened the door. She seemed startled to see me at the door. I quickly explained Dumbledore's plan and told her to get ready.

"Meet in Dumbledore's office in half an hour," I told her.

"I will. Wow, I don't know if I'm ready for this yet," she sighed softly.

"Well, I guess we'll find out, right? This is what we've been preparing for all year," I encouraged, though I couldn't help but think that I was trying to convince myself as well as her. I left her a few moments later and walked briskly to the Gryffindor tower. As expected, my friends were up waiting for me.

"What's going on?" they demanded as soon as I stepped through the portrait hole. I explained about Dumbledore's plan.

"I'm coming too," said Harry.

"Harry, you can't. We're not going there to fight with them. We're going there to rescue Adrien," I said gently taking his hand. He pulled it away.

"I'm not going to just let you go! You're going to get hurt!" he cried defiantly.

"Please, Harry. This is going to be difficult enough, without me worrying about you being mad at me. Ben, Athena and I have our powers. We'll be safe. We're going there to get Adrien out, not to fight the Death Eaters," I pleaded. His fierce expression softened slightly.

"What if something happens to you?" he whispered, so only I could hear it.

"Nothing is going to happen to us! Dumbledore is going to be with us," I promised. I pulled Harry closer to me in an embrace. He held me tightly for a few seconds before I pulled away.

"Ben, we have to get ready and meet in Dumbledore's office in about twenty minutes," I said. I went up to my dorm and put on some jeans and a warm sweater. I had to search around in my trunk to find a pair of socks. As I combed through my trunk I felt my hand graze something hard and cold. I pulled it out and it turned out to be a wooden box.

It suddenly occurred to me what this was. It was the present that Ben had given me for Christmas. I wrenched the lid off the box and looked at the two vials inside. One of them, that had contained the Draught of Peace was nearly empty. My attention, however, was on the vial beside it, full of golden liquid. It was the Felix Felicis that I hadn't touched since December. I had completely forgotten about this!

I shoved the vial into my pocket. I pulled on my socks and shoes before sprinting back down the stairs. Ben wasn't there yet, but I saw Harry standing at the foot of the stairs holding the cloak.

"Thanks, Harry," I said, appreciatively taking the cloak.

"Are you sure I can't come?" he asked.

"Harry, please. Don't do this," I begged. He sighed, but gave up. We all stood there in silence, waiting for Ben to return so we could leave. Finally, after several silent minutes, Ben came running down the stairs.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah, let's head," I agreed. I said goodbye to Ron and Hermione, who wished us good luck on the mission. Then, I turned to Harry, who was wearing a pained expression.

"Please, take care of yourself," he whispered, lacing his fingers through mine.

"I promise, Harry. I'll be ok. Please don't worry too much," I requested. His only response was a small shrug. I hugged him quickly, before leaving the common room with Ben. We walked to Dumbledore's office in silence. As we approached, I saw Athena approaching as well. She gave us a weak smile when she saw us.

"You ready?" she asked nervously.

"As ready as we're going to be, I guess," answered Ben. We stepped over the rubble from the gargoyle statue and continued to the office.

"Come in," said Dumbledore as Ben knocked. We entered the office and Dumbledore got up to greet us.

"Excellent, you're all here. We can leaven very soon. There is just one thing we must attend to first," he said. We all waited for him to explain. However, he didn't explain anything.

"Dobby," said the Headmaster clearly. I stared at Dumbledore in confusion. Just as I was about to ask him what he meant, there was a loud popping sound and Dobby the house elf appeared out of thin air.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir. How can Dobby help you?" he asked politely.

"Dobby, we require your assistance," said Dumbledore.

"Anything, sir," replied the elf, proud to be called upon to assist Dumbledore himself.

"Dobby, we need you to tell us about Malfoy Manor. More specifically, the house elves' quarters," explained Dumbledore. The elf's tennis ball eyes seemed to widen even more.

"Oh, sir. I do not understand," he said, confused.

"A very important person has been kidnapped. We have reason to believe that he is being kept at the Malfoy Manor," Dumbledore told him.

"Oh they are bad people, the Malfoys," said Dobby. Suddenly, he dropped to the ground and started banging his head on the ground.

"Stop!" I cried without thinking. The elf stopped and stood up again.

"Sorry, Sirs and Misses. I find it difficult to talk about my old masters. I will help you, Professor Dumbledore, sir. Why do you need to know about the house elves' room, though?" he asked.

"It will be the only way to enter," replied Dumbledore simply.

"The house elves' room is at the back of the house, just beside the western edge of the property. There is only one small window. It is very late now, so they will be doing their cleaning, so the room will be empty," explained Dobby.

"And Dobby. I also need to know if there are any places that they would most likely be keeping a prisoner?" asked Dumbledore.

"There are dungeons underground, where they sometimes keep people. I have also seen them keep people in the room with the big table. I've seen them tie people up in there too. It is right across from the fountain," he told us.

"Thank you Dobby. You have been a great help to us," said Dumbledore with a king smile on his face.

"Thank you, sir. Dobby must go and finish his work now," he squeaked. He bowed deeply before disappearing with a loud pop.

"Alright, we know how to enter the premises, and where we will need to go. I highly doubt that Adrien is going to be kept in the dungeons, so I think we will have to go to the room with the big table, as Dobby referred to it. Are you all ready to go?"

"Wait, Professor. I have something," I said, pulling out the vial of Felix Felicis. Ben's grave facial expression changed into a grin.

"Avery, where did you get that?" asked Dumbledore curiously.

"Ben brewed it up for my Christmas present. I happened to see it just now when I went to the tower. I thought it would be useful tonight," I explained.

"Yes, good thinking. If you will please share the potion between the three of you," he requested.

"What about you, sir?" I asked.

"Do not worry about me, Avery. I will be just fine without potion," he said with a small smile. I shrugged before taking a big gulp of the golden potion. The effects were immediate. I suddenly felt... great. There was no way that our plan was going to fail. Absolutely no way! I passed the vial to Athena and then Ben.

"Now, before we leave, I must warn you. This mission is dangerous. If I tell you to do something, you must listen to me. Do you all understand?" he asked, seriously. We all nodded.

"Ben, when the time comes, you must do as we discussed," said Dumbledore, to which Ben nodded in understanding. I stared at Ben in confusion.

"What – " I started.

"No time now, Avery. We must leave now," interrupted Dumbledore. He pulled out his wand and tapped a mug that was on his desk.

_"Portus_," he muttered. The mug glowed blue for a moment. We all placed our fingers on the mug. I felt a hooking feeling behind my navel, and we were off!

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><p><strong>THANKS FOR READING! I am currently writing the last couple of chapters, and I'm really excited for you all to read it! I think some things are coming together nicely! :D<strong>


	46. Chapter 46

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>"Let go," said Dumbledore clearly. I detached my finger from the glowing mug and landed on soft grass with an audible thud. I rubbed the back of my head, as I pushed myself off the ground. Ben and Athena seemed to be recovering from the journey as well, but Dumbledore was already looking through the large bushes we were hidden behind. The bushes seemed to form some kind of enchanted fence around the Malfoy Manor.<p>

After brushing the leaves off my jeans and pulling out a couple of twigs from my hair, I joined Dumbledore near the bushes.

"Sir, how are we going to get through the bushes?" I asked.

"I believe that your magic is much more powerful than the protection that has been placed on this property. I think that you will be able to get us through the fence," he told me. I stared reluctantly at the enchanted fence. By now, Ben and Athena were standing beside me too, examining the foliage.

"Alright, sir. I'll give it a try," I said, nervously. Dumbledore had basically just told me that I was our only chance of getting in (but no pressure, right?). I sighed, but closed my eyes in concentration. I tried to think of a way of getting us through the bushes. The way I saw it was that there were two options here: either we went over or we went through. Over didn't really seem feasible, especially as I couldn't think of a way that I would be able to use my powers to make that happen. So, there was really only one option here. I concentrated on the leaves of the bushes, focusing my magic on the leaves.

I heard a sort of rustling sound. I opened my eyes to see that the leaves of bushes directly in front of us had fallen off the branches, giving us a clear path into the property. I breathed a sigh of relief and stepped through the branches onto the property. I warily looked around, almost expecting sirens or something to sound, but nothing happened. I stepped aside and allowed the others to follow me.

While the others were climbing through the path in the bushes, I looked around the vast grounds. Clearly, the Malfoys had done well for themselves. The grounds were covered in lush green grass and gaudy flowerbeds. It seemed like they were just trying to show people how much money they had. I guess that's where Draco got it from.

"Sir, where do we go now?" I whispered quietly.

"Dobby said that the house elves lived in a room at the western edge of the property, and that it had one small window. I think that the window we are looking for is that one," he said, pointing his wrinkled finger at a tiny, lightless window. He lead the way to the window, and we followed quietly behind him.

He peered into the window to check for danger, but he didn't find anything. He pulled out his wand and tapped the window, which unlocked with a click and swung open.

"After you," he said, politely. Athena climbed through first. After she was inside the house, I followed, with Ben right behind me. Then, Dumbledore climbed through. We had gotten into the house with no problem! It almost seemed too easy, but I pushed the thought out of my head. I mean we had taken the Felix Felicis, so it wasn't that strange I guess!

"Ben, I think you will have to lead the way, as you have been here before," said the Headmaster. Ben nodded and started walking through the small room. He pulled open the door and glanced around for a moment, before declaring the path safe. We tiptoed through the silent hallway, our footsteps echoing slightly. This worried me, but _luckily_ we didn't see anyone.

Ben lead us to a set of stairs and we crept upstairs. We were now standing in a large, open space. It looked like a living room... but there was something off about it. It didn't look like anyone really lived here, considering the pristine condition of the couches and coffee table. All the furniture looked like pricy antiques; it was yet another show of wealth by the Malfoys.

Ben crept through the living room as quietly as possible. Now, we were standing in what I would call their entrance hall. There was a grand set of double doors that I assumed was the front door. There were several closed doors near the front door. I was really curious about what was through the doors, but I decided that now was definitely not the time for exploring.

Ben was now leading us through the entrance hall to an open area. There were several closed doors surrounding the circular space. There was a grand staircase that lead upstairs to what I assumed would be bedrooms. I couldn't think about that though, because I was staring at a fountain.

The enormous marble fountain was pretty, I guess, if not a little bit extravagant for my taste. The water was spraying up in an arch into a large pool. The fountain itself looked gold. I wouldn't be surprised if it was made of real gold.

So, if this was the fountain that Dobby was talking about, then that meant that Adrien was really close. Unfortunately for us, the circular space had several doors that were close to the fountain... all of which closed. How would we figure out which one he was in.

"Professor, what do we do?" asked Ben, clearly seeing the same problem I was. He didn't answer. Instead, he pulled out his wand.

"_Homenum Revelio_," he whispered, quietly. A small, silvery orb left Dumbledore's wand and floated towards one of the doors.

"He is in there. I am not sure if he's alone, but it is definitely that room," said Dumbledore. He began walking towards the door. I guess it was time...

He strode over to the door that had been identified by the orb and pointed his wand. He unlocked the door and pushed it open.

I braced myself for the worst, but it didn't come. When the door opened, I peered inside, to see a small boy sitting in a chair. There were ropes binding him to the chair, but other than that he looked unharmed. His eyes were closed at the moment, and he was breathing steadily, letting me know that he was just sleeping (and not dead...). I rushed over to him.

"Adrien!" I whispered, as I gently shook him. It took a moment, but he opened his eyes. He stared around, disoriented.

"Ava?" he asked, as if unsure if I was actually there.

"Adrien! You're ok!" I whispered, throwing my arms around his neck in delight.

"I knew you guys would come!" he said quietly, and when I pulled away I saw a large grin on his face.

"Are you alright?" asked Dumbledore calmly.

"I'm ok. They didn't hurt me. They just tied me to this chair, and asked me some questions. They left a little while ago," he explained.

"I am glad you're alright," said Dumbledore with a smile. He tapped the ropes that were restraining Adrien fell to the ground. He hopped off the chair and stretched for a second.

"Let's go, before we run into anyone," suggested Athena. I nodded fervently and followed the others out the door. I kept my arm securely around Adrien's shoulder.

We walked back into the circular hall, with the fountain and began back the way we came.

"Well, well, well. What have we got here," said a quiet voice from behind us. The cold dread I had been feeling earlier tonight flooded over me.

I slowly turned around, and saw my worst fear standing in front of me. Lord Voldemort, draped in long black robes, was standing casually behind us, wand pointing towards us. Behind him were a mob of Death Eaters, including Lucius Malfoy. When I saw Lucius' smirking face all the fear left me, and was replaced by rage.

"Hello, Tom," said Dumbledore, equally as quietly. I saw Voldemort's face twitch slightly in anger at being referred to as Tom, however he chose to ignore the comment.

"Dumbledore. I haven't seen you in a long time," he stated.

"I cannot say that I minded," said Dumbledore lightly. Voldemort's lips curved into a menacing smirk.

"Of course you didn't. You never did like me, even when I was in school," he replied.

"Well, I had a hunch about what you would turn into early on," replied Dumbledore. Voldemort's smirk grew.

"I doubt you ever had the hunch that I would be the one to kill you," said Voldemort.

"You will not be the one to bring about my death, Tom," said Dumbledore.

"You foolish old man. I could kill you right now if I wanted," said Voldemort with a laugh.

"I think that if you were going to kill me, you would have done it already," Dumbledore replied. I turned my turned my eyes to Voldemort, waiting for his answer.

"You don't think I would kill you?" he demanded angrily. "_AVADA KEVADRA!"_ he cried. A beam of green light erupted from his wand, and it was soaring straight to Dumbledore.

Thinking quickly, Athena raised her hands and formed some kind of shield of air around us. The green beam seemed to blow away before it reached us. Voldemort growled angrily.

"You won't be able to maintain that shield forever. I can wait," said Voldemort. It was true. Though the shield was incredibly useful, it was also difficult to maintain. Athena had only ever managed to maintain it for a few minutes at a time. I wasn't sure what we would do after the shield failed. I could already see Athena's face was strained.

"You're not going to hurt any of us," I said defiantly, though I wasn't sure anymore.

"Oh, is that right, Avery?" he asked with a humourless laugh.

"Yes, it is. We have powers that you don't. You can't compete with them!" I replied angrily.

"But of course I do. Benjamin?" said Voldemort, locking his eyes on Ben, who was standing beside me. Clearly Ben had played his role well. I let out a loud, ruthless laugh.

"Ben? Ben isn't going to help you! He was just pretending to be on your side!" I laughed. I glanced at Ben beside me, whose face was stoney.

My laugh was cut short though. Ben stepped forward, and walked out of the protection of the shield. My voice caught in my throat, as I saw my friend Ben stride over and stand beside Voldemort.

"Ben?" I whispered, just loud enough that he would be able to hear me.

"Actually, you're wrong, Ava. You were right that I was pretending, but not about being on their side. I was pretending to be one of you!" he said with a cold laugh. My fingers started to feel numb.


	47. Chapter 47

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related.**_

**Sooo close to being done! Hooray!**

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><p>"Ben, what are you talking about? Come back here!" I hissed. He just shrugged, and Voldemort let out a high-pitched laugh.<p>

"So I had you convinced then?" he asked, with a smirk.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." I told him.

"I've been pretending! This entire time! I've been passing on information to the Dark Lord all year!" he said.

"Ben, you can't be serious. Please..." I pleaded, staring at him hopefully. There was some inexplicable emotion in his eyes, but the smirk didn't leave his lips.

"Things could have been different, you know. We could have been together. Maybe this wouldn't have happened then," he explained.

"We could still be! Just give me some time," I offered, hoping that my lie would be convincing. He laughed a cruel chuckle at my statement.

"Don't say that. We both know that would never happen! Don't blame yourself, love. It's not entirely your fault. But now you have to deal with the consequences," he said quietly.

"There is always room for you here... if you would like to join your friend," said Voldemort to me, gesturing to the space beside him.

"Never! I'll never join you!" I said, angrily.

"I can't hold it much longer," Athena muttered beside me. The shield was going to fail any second now!

Athena started to shake with the exertion of maintaining the shield. As it became too much, she crumpled to the ground, leaving us unprotected. I immediately raised my wand back up, but none of the Death Eaters made any move. They just stood there staring at us with mild amusement.

"I will give you one more opportunity. Join us..." said Voldemort. I didn't respond.

"Very well, then," he said. He raised his wand and opened his mouth.

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!" _He screamed. Fortunately, Dumbledore was there.

"_Protego_," he yelled, protecting us all from the curse. Voldemort shot another curse at Dumbledore, who easily deflected it. Voldemort continued to shoot curses at us, but Dumbledore didn't have the reputation as the most powerful wizard alive for no reason. He didn't let a single curse touch us.

I decided that it was time for us to intervene. I pulled myself together and concentrated on the floor beneath my feet. Suddenly, the ground began to tremble slightly The Death Eaters began to glance at each other in surprise.

The tremble in the ground began to get more intense. So intense, in fact, that some of the Death Eaters were having trouble staying upright. Dumbledore and Voldemort stopped hurling curses at each other to see what was going on. I saw Dumbledore give me a slight nod of approval. I didn't stop, even though I was starting to feel worn out.

I glanced up at Ben, who was one of the few on that side of the room that was managing to stand his ground. Apparently he had gotten accustom at having to stay standing in our practice sessions. Just thinking about those hours I had spent practicing with him in the Room of Requirements made me feel sick to my stomach. I couldn't fathom how Ben could do this to us. How could he betray us this way?. The sick feeling turned into rage, and the tiredness I was feeling vanished.

The adrenaline and anger were helping to fuel my powers. I glanced back up at Ben, who was still standing, but now something was different. His face was screwed up in concentration, and suddenly his hands were engulfed in flames.

He made a swift throwing motion, flinging small orbs of fire towards us. Athena, who had managed to regain some of her strength by now blew out the fire with a gust of wind. Ben began sending more and more fireballs at us, while Athena defended us by making the fire blow away before it touched us.

Adrien was still standing beside me. I glanced at him to make sure that he was still alright. I expected to see the little boy cowering in terror, but I was wrong. His youthful face was covered in an look of deep focus. I could hear him panting slightly with the effort. I wasn't sure what he was trying to do, but I couldn't help but watch him to see what he was up to.

Then, the most amazing thing happened. The water in the fountain seemed to rise into the air. It took everyone a few seconds to notice, but one they had, everyone turned to see what was happening. In a wave-like motion, the water submerged the Death Eaters, Ben and Voldemort. There must have been a lot more water in that pool that I had thought because it didn't seem to end.

"Run!" said Dumbledore beside us. Adrien's ingenious plan had given us a distraction to get away. Since we didn't have to worry about being stealthy anymore we ran out of the front door and down the marble stairs.

We had made it to the grounds. Now, we just had to make it back to where the portkey lay. We started sprinting in the direction. We were so close that I could see the bushes we had entered through earlier.

And then we were surrounded. In the blink of an eye we were trapped in a ring of Death Eaters, all with outstretched wands. I held up my own wand, as did the others beside me did.

I couldn't think of anything to do! Now that the Death Eaters knew what I could do, they would be more prepared for it and it probably wouldn't be as effective.

I racked my brain, trying to come up some kind of plan but nothing was coming to me. I stared at the tree that we had left the portkey beside. It was so close...

_Wait... that's it! Trees!_ I thought. If I was able to pull it off, my plan would work, but I wasn't sure if it was possible. I had already used some of my strength back in the house, so I wasn't sure if I could pull it off in my weakened state.

I glanced around the circle, and my eyes landed on Ben. He had spurred on my rage earlier, and I was hoping that it would work again. His smug expression was the perfect motivation. The rage I felt made my next action feel almost natural.

I used my heightened emotions, and concentrated on the tiny forest that the Malfoys had surrounding part of their property. I was going to use my powers to get the trees to help us. I had done this only once before, and it had been extremely difficult. After that time I had nearly passed out. I wasn't sure how I would manage this time. But for some reason I was feeling confident. I wasn't sure if I should attribute it to the lucky potion or my emotional state, but I knew I could do it.

I directed my attention to the forest, and allowed my mind to clear. I just thought about the trees and what I wanted them to do. After a few seconds I heard some faint sounds coming from the forest. I knew that this sound was the sound of trees pulling their roots from the ground.

In the dark it was hard to tell, but I could see that they were moving closer. The Death Eaters were busy focusing on us, and they didn't seem to notice what was coming towards us.

Soon, the trees were feet away from us. One of the Death Eaters sensed something behind him and turned around to see at least a dozen trees behind him. He nudged the one beside him, who also turned around. They were soon all turning around and looking at the scene behind them. I could hear nervous whispering among them.

And then the first tree fell. The unsuspecting Death Eaters scrambled out of the way. The first one fell right into the circle, landing on top of at least one of them. They started shouting and struggling to get away, but they weren't able to get too far. I dropped a few more trees on top of them. This time, they were able to run out of the way, but one of them fell and his leg was trapped under.

They started firing curses at the trees, but nothing would stop them. I dropped another tree on top of them. They continued to shoot stunning and petrifying spells at the trunks, but nothing was working. I continued to drop a few more, scattering them further out of the way.

"Run!" Dumbledore cried. I grabbed a hold of Adrien's hand and pulled him along. I forced the rest of the trees to fall, giving us a few more seconds to get to the site of the portkey. We managed to reach the tree with the mug resting against it. Dumbledore tapped it with his wand as he had done once before. It glowed for a moment.

"Adrien, put your finger on the mug," he instructed. We all attached a finger to the cool ceramic. I felt a hook behind my navel, and I was pulled away from the Malfoy Manor.

Seconds later I opened my eyes and we were all back in Dumbledore's office. As soon as I pulled my finger away from the cup, I fell to the ground, consumed by emotion and exhaustion.

All the energy I had used to fight tonight finally caught up to me. The tears that I had been holding in every since Ben left my side finally trickled down my cheek.

I looked around at the others. Athena, Adrien and Dumbledore were all staring at me with concern. I noted that they Athena and Adrien both looked as exhausted as I felt. It was all just too much to handle. I laid my head down on the carpet and everything around me went black.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading this one! Let me just say, first of all, I hope it wasn't TOO cheesy, because I know there were some bits that may have been. I'm not going to lie; there are a few parts of this chapter that I'm not entirely happy about, but I honestly couldn't figure out how to describe the things that I was seeing in my head as I pictured this fight scene! Anyway, it's so close to being over! I have a feeling that there will only be two more chapters, and they're both going to be pretty short ones, so I'll see if I can post them BOTH tomorrow! Then I can move on to the sequel! <strong>

**Again, if you wouldn't mine, please review and tell me your feelings/opinions about the series. It's really good to know as I start writing the sequel! THANKS!**


	48. Chapter 48

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related.**_

**Wow... the story is almost over (or now). Thanks for reading!**

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><p>I was lying on something extremely soft and cozy. I didn't want to move, because I was so incredibly comfortable. I tried to move my arms to push myself up but they felt like they were being held down by lead. As I realized this, I also started noticing the pain I was feeling all throughout my body. It felt like every one of my muscles were burning in pain.<p>

As I inhaled deeply, there was a sharp pain in my ribs, letting my know that they were pretty bruised up as well. I guess I should have expected it, but I had been hoping that everything I was remembering was a dream. Guess not.

I wasn't sure how long I had been out for, though I could see light through my eyelids. It was clearly early morning right now. I wasn't even sure where I was right now, though I could guess. I was probably in the Hospital Wing right now. The last thing I remember was reaching back to Dumbledore's office. Then everything dissolved into blackness.

Thinking about that night made my mind wander to before we had reached back to Dumbledore's office. I couldn't believe what had happened. It just didn't make any sense! I honestly couldn't begin to understand any of it. It was partly because my thought were a little bit jumbled. I mean I know what happened: Ben betrayed us and then we escaped. That much was clear, but I found that the details were a little bit... confused. I guess this was to be expected as well. After exerting myself like that I suppose a little bit of memory loss was a small price to pay.

But still... it just didn't seem right.

I felt pressure on my hand. Someone was holding it. The hand was soft and cool against my burning skin. I tried to squeeze back lightly, but my hands didn't seem to want to cooperate.

I heard footsteps, that pulled my attention away from the person holding my hand. The footsteps approached me and stopped.

"How's she doing?" said a voice, that I recognized as Ron's.

"The same. She hasn't woken up or anything. Though I could have sworn that she just squeezed my hand," said Harry, hopefully.

"She's going to be alright, mate," replied Ron. I felt the side of my bed compress as someone sat down.

"I know. Madam Pomfrey said that it may take a couple of days, but I can't wait anymore! I just can't! It's been four days!" whispered Harry.

"Harry, maybe you should go back to your dorm and get some rest. You haven't left her side since she was brought in," said Hermione gently.

"No! I'm not going anywhere until I know she's fine!" he snapped. I felt him squeeze my hand again. This time I forced my muscles to respond and I grasped his hand tighter.

"She just squeezed my hand again!" he whispered happily. I felt a hand gently caress my cheek. I leaned so that the hand was pressed closer to my face. It was definitely time that I got up.

I slowly wrenched my eyelids apart and was greeted with a bright stream of sunlight. I shut my eyes again quickly. I opened them again, just a tiny bit and allowed myself to get used to the bright light. After a few moments I was able to open them fully.

"Ava!" said Harry. I was suddenly embraced tightly.

"Ow!" I said in a quiet, husky voice that was unlike my normal one. He pulled away from me immediately.

"Sorry, love," he apologized, though he didn't look very sorry. In fact, he was wearing a large, happy grin.

"It's fine, Harry. I'm alright," I told him. I looked past Harry and saw Ron and Hermione perched at the foot of my bed.

"How are you feeling?" asked Hermione.

"I'm alive. That's the most I can ask for, I suppose. I'm really sore though," I admitted.

"I expected that. You're pretty bruised up," she told me. I just shrugged.

"Where are Adrien and Athena?" I asked, not seeing them in the beds beside me.

"They were both discharged three days ago. You've been out for a while," Ron explained.

"Ah, yes I heard you talking. Four days, huh?" I said.

"Yeah. That's also why you're still covered in bruises. You were asleep so Madam Pomfrey wasn't able to get the potions into you," Hermione told me. I let out a small humourless laugh.

"Guys, I need to see Dumbledore," I told them.

"Go later. You're not well!" said Harry. I shook my head. Instead of waiting for them to try and stop me, I slowly pushed myself out of the comfortable bed. I realized that I was in a white, cotton nightgown. There were slippers beside my bed so I slipped my feet into them.

"Ok, I'll come with you," said Harry. I sighed, but I didn't push it. I was touched that he had actually stayed in the Hospital Wing with me for four days, and I didn't really want to leave his side right now. I laced my fingers lightly with his.

"Would you guys mind telling Madam Pomfrey where I am," I asked Ron and Hermione.

"Of course. Just go," they told me. I pulled Harry from the room and walked towards the staircase.

"So, do you want to tell me what happened while I was out?" I asked Harry.

"Well, after you left I got out the Marauders Map and kept checking to see when you were back. Finally, I saw you, Adrien, Athena and Dumbledore return to his office. I knew something was wrong because Ben wasn't with you. Ron, Hermione and I sprinted off to his office. We got there just in time to see Dumbledore carrying you out of his office. I honestly thought you were... dead or something. But, Dumbledore told me that you would be alright. He took you to the Hospital Wing and you've been there ever since," explained Harry.

"Oh, wow. What about with Athena and Adrien?" I asked.

"Well, they spent the night in the Hospital Wing, but they were fine. Just a little bit tired. They've been sitting with me in the hospital in shifts. I told them to go and get breakfast just about fifteen minutes before you woke up," he told me.

"Oh. Thanks Harry," I said.

"For what?" he asked, confused.

"For just staying with me and being there for me. I'm sorry if I scared you," I said.

"You really did scare me. I was starting to prepare myself for the worse, but Madam Pomfrey kept telling me that you would be fine. But it's been a few days. I think she was starting to get nervous too, because she wasn't able to give you any medicine or food or anything. She was having to force potions down your throat," he said.

"Oh. I'm sorry," I said, stopping in my tracked. He stopped as well, and stood in front of my.

"Don't ever do that to me again. You have no idea the state I've been in for the past four days," he pleaded in a whisper. He almost sounded embarrassed to be saying something so cheesy. I just smiled.

"I'll try, Harry. But I can't promise you that. We're in a war right now, and I don't know what's going to happen in the future," I said seriously.

"I know. It's just too hard to watch you like that," he said. I brushed some hair out of his eye and then let my hand lightly stroke his cheek, causing him to close his eyes. I couldn't resist, and I gently placed my arms around his neck, resting my head on his chest. He responded by very lightly (as if he was scared of hurting me again) placing his own arms around my waist.

"I love you, Harry. I'm so sorry if I caused you any grief," I said, my voice muffled slightly by his shirt.

"I love you, too. I'm so relieved that you're doing alright," he said, kissing the top of my head. After a few more seconds, I pulled away, as I remembered my destination. I pulled Harry along, continuing to Dumbledore's office. I really needed some answers.

As we approached his office, I noticed the gargoyle had been repaired. Crap, I didn't have the password.

"Canary Creams," said Harry. The gargoyle jumped to life and moved aside. I dragged Harry up the stairs and knocked at the office door, as I had done countless times before.

"Enter," said Dumbledore's voice. Harry pushed open the door and allowed me to enter. Dumbledore, as usual, was sitting in the big chair behind his desk.

"Avery. I'm glad you're here. How are you feeling, my dear?" he asked kindly, as he conjured some squishy looking chairs to sit in. I sat down gratefully, as I was still sore and weak.

"Thank you, sir. I'm feeling better, though I'm still feeling pretty weak," I admitted.

"I am glad you're better," he smiled. I wanted the small talk to end. I desperately needed some answers.

"Sir, what happened? I don't understand...," I said in a small voice.

"Yes, I knew I would be seeing you soon. You deserve an explanation about what happened at the Malfoy Manor. I am going to tell you everything," he promised.

I nodded, and waited expectantly.

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><p><strong>I know I said that I would be putting up two today, but I'm not sure if that's possible anymore. I'll see, so hopefully you'll see another one in a few hours! Hope you enjoyed! Again, if you wouldn't mind giving me feedback, as it is important as I start to write the sequel, I would be very grateful! Thanks! <strong>


	49. Chapter 49

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related! **_

**Second last chapter! They're going to be relatively short, but they're going to come out at the same time! I hope you enjoy!**

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><p>"Yes, I knew I would be seeing you soon. You deserve an explanation about what happened at the Malfoy Manor. I am going to tell you everything," he promised.<p>

I nodded, and waited expectantly.

"I am sure that you have many questions, but if you would not mind, please allow me to finish first. Then, if you still have questions I will happily answer all of them," he said. I nodded again.

"I heard of the Elements many, many years ago. Elements are so rare that there is not much information available about them, but I am fortunate enough to know some very knowledgable people. I found out that there were four, and together they would have the power to control the earth. Together, they would be indestructible.

"I knew of their existence, but finding four people out of the billions that exist in the world proved to be much more difficult than I hoped, as I did not have very much information. I heard mentions of the existence of a girl, with strange powers. I decided that this may be one of the people I was searching for.

"I found out her location and went to her. She was a young lady, of around twenty-five. She was living on her own in the South of France. She had never heard of magic, or the world to which she belonged. I discovered that her parents had received her Hogwarts letter but did not allow her to attend, so she never received a magical education.

"I offered to teach her to use her powers, and control them, as I did with you. She reluctantly agreed, and I began to teach her. This lady was your grandmother," he said. I gasped.

"Gran?" I asked.

"Yes, she was the first Element I ever found. She was extremely talented, and learned very quickly. She does not have a wand, nor does she know any normal magic, which is why you did not come in contact with magic until coming to Hogwarts. I continued to teach her for many years. She got married a few years after meeting me, and shortly after, she had a daughter – your mother.

"Your grandmother happily sent your mother to Hogwarts, wanting her to have the education that she never had. Your mother arrived at Hogwarts, with a small amount of knowledge about magic and her own powers. I allowed her to grow as a witch for several years before teaching her about her other abilities. She was a natural, just as your grandmother was, but her magical training helped her to have a better command of her powers.

"Once she left school, she joined the Order of the Phoenix. She was one of our most valued members, and she managed to help us a lot, but I was still searching. I wanted to find the others. I believed that once they were all together we would be able to easily conquer Lord Voldemort. I searched and searched for several years, but I wasn't able to find any of them.

"Meanwhile, your mother fell in love with another member of the Order. They got married and had a child – you. Of course I knew then that your mother's powers would be passed on to you.

"By this time, Voldemort had been defeated, but his Death Eaters still existed. I knew it was only a matter of time before Voldemort returned, so I was still searching for the other Elements. Shortly after the birth of your brother, your mother was helping on a mission for the Order. She was helping me, as I was confident that I had finally found another Element.

"Your mother and I went to where I believed he lived. We arrived at the house and knocked at the door. We were greeted by a middle aged man. I explained what he was, and the circumstances surrounding our visit. I had expected the man to be surprised, or confused. We received a different reaction though. The man knew all about the current state of the wizarding world.

"He explained that once he had found out the circumstances, he had searched for Voldemort on his own. He said that it was the perfect way to use his powers to their full potential. I realized now that I had put your mother in a terrible position, and that we were in grave danger. I offered the man safety and protection from Voldemort, if he agreed to join us.

"He simply laughed at my suggestion. He told us that the house was already surrounded by Death Eaters. Apparently, he had been watching for months, knowing that we were getting close to finding out his whereabouts. As soon as he spotted us, he called the other Death Eaters. He thought that your mother's powers would help them find their master.

"It was a terrible fight. We were highly outnumbered, and it was impossible to just apparate away, as they had put charms, similar to those that are placed on Hogwarts, to prevent us from doing so.

"Your mother fought valiantly, and managed to hurt, if not kill, half a dozen Death Eaters. But we were outnumbered, and your mother was struck by the killing curse. I saw her tumble to the ground, dead. While the Death Eaters were celebrating her death I managed to get far enough away, so that I could get away. After all, I could not do anything for her anymore.

"I returned back to Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, alone and weak. We were not able to recover her body, but we dug a grave and buried her wand. Very shortly after, your father passed away during an attack during a night patrol. I know that it will never make up for losing your mother, but all I can do is apologize for my mistakes and beg that you forgive me for her death," said Dumbledore.

I had been so engrossed in his story, that I hadn't realized that my face was covered in warm tears. I didn't bother to wipe them away, and they kept trickling down my cheeks. I was gripping Harry's hand so tight, that it was probably painful. However, he didn't let go. I looked up at Professor Dumbledore's bright blue eyes, and realized, for the first time, that my eyes were not the only ones filled with tears. Dumbledore's eyes shone with tears, and he face was covered in guilt.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I knew that my mother had died in her service to the Order, but actually hearing what had happened was a little bit overwhelming. I wanted to say something; I wanted to tell Dumbledore that I didn't blame him at all for my mother's death. I wanted to give him some words of comfort, but I couldn't find my voice. I was just speechless. We sat in silence for a few more minutes, before I was able to find my voice.

"Professor," I started, "I don't blame you for anything. She made a commitment to the order, and she understood the risks. I know that you couldn't have helped it."

"Thank you, Avery. I appreciate your kind words. I do feel responsible for her death, but I also know that there was not much that I could have done," he told me. I offered him a small smile.

"I am sure you have questions for me," he said. Indeed, I did have a question or two for him.

"Sir, I'm wondering about Gran. Why did she never tell me any of this?" I asked.

"That is another thing for which I must take the blame. After your mother's death, the Death Eaters knew her identity. I feared that they would find out that she had a daughter – the person that would possess the power of an Element. I was scared that they would look for you and try to raise you as one of their own. After your father's passing I sent you and your brother to live with your grandmother, who had made a quiet life for herself in the muggle world. I thought you would be safest away from the magical world until I was able to protect you myself," he explained.

"So, you said that my mother wasn't actually muggle born – that she had come from magical blood. Then, why does my brother not have any magical powers?" I asked, in confusion.

"Well, that is a simple explanation and has nothing to do with your Elemental powers. Your brother is a squib. He does not possess any magical powers," he said simply. I nodded. That was the most simplistic explanation I had heard all day. I was still bursting with questions, so I proceeded to my next one.

"The man – the other Element? He had to have been related to one of us..." I said slowly. I didn't have to finish my thought, because Dumbledore seemed to understand what I was getting to.

"Yes. The man that called the Death Eaters on your mother was Ben's grandfather. That is why Voldemort was so willing to accept Ben into his circle," he told me. I hadn't thought about Ben yet at all. His answer made me seethe with anger. So, betrayal ran in the family, apparently. It took me another few moments to calm myself down.

"Ben... what happened? I don't understand how he could do that to us," I said, finally.

"I was wondering when you would ask about this. Ben made a mistake by going to Voldemort the first time. He was deeply remorseful, and wanted to help in any way. After his trip to Malfoy Manor, over the winter holidays, I had a meeting with him. We discussed everything he had found out. After much discussion, we concluded that it would be necessary for him to join their side completely. He was acting on my orders the entire time. The only reason that I did not tell you earlier was that it was extremely necessary that it look realistic. It was vital that Voldemort and his supports were convinced, and the only way to ensure that was if he fought against you and the others. I feared that if you knew, you would go easy on him or would try and protect him at some point, and that would completely ruin the entire plan," he explained. My lips felt a little bit numb. So, he had been doing it all for his cover.

"Really?" I asked in a whisper. I felt Harry squeeze my hand.

"Yes. He was under strict orders not to tell you anything, though he kept begging me to let him explain. He had been preparing for this part of his mission for months now," said Dumbledore. The feeling of loss that I had experiencing left me right away. Almost immediately, it was replaced by anxiety.

"What's going to happen to him?" I asked.

"He's going to stay with the Malfoys and join Voldemort's side," he explained.

"Are we going to see him again?" I asked.

"Definitely. He's going to accept a job at the Ministry of Magic. He will be working with several members of the Order of the Phoenix. He will be able to communicate with them and find out about times for meetings and information. He will be a part of the Order and will be able to pass on information to us," said Dumbledore. That made me feel a lot better.

"That's great! Wow..." I trailed off. I had been presented with so much information and I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything. As I considered everything I had just been told, my stomach rumbled loudly, letting me know I was hungry. I don't know if it was the relief I was feeling about Ben or if the rumbling was such a contrast to the tense conversation we were having, but I burst out laughing.

"I think that you should go to the Great Hall. It is nearly lunchtime," said Dumbledore, with a smile.

"Thank you for telling me everything, Professor. It's nice to know everything that happened," I said.

"Of course. Thank you for being so brave in helping to rescue Adrien. You truly surpassed every expectation that I had," he told me. I felt my cheeks burn.

"Thank you, sir," I said. My stomach growled again. We said goodbye, and Harry and I left his office. We stopped in the Gryffindor tower, so I could change out of my nightgown and then went down to the Great Hall.

Once I had eaten a third helping of food, we went back to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey was not exactly please with me, but when I explained about my meeting with Dumbledore she softened a little bit. She examined me for a few minutes and forced me to take four different (disgusting) potions. Finalllllly, she deemed me well enough to leave. I happily went back to the common room and lounged on the couch for a little while. It was the first time I was feeling relaxed; exams were over, all my questions had been answered, and I was relieved about the Ben situation. Soon, Ron and Hermione joined us in the common room. We spent the rest of the day playing cards and joking around.

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><p><strong>So, only one short chapter left. Thanks again for reading and being so great! I am really happy with this chapter and I that a lot of stuff was explained. To be honest, I had only planned the series up until Chapter 47 so I was just kind of winging it and some of the stuff just seemed to fit perfectly. If you happen to notice any inconsistencies that I may have forgotten about, pleaseeee let me know so I can fix it up! THANKS! <strong>


	50. Chapter 50

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related! **_

** Ok, this is the last chapter. There's a short note at the end. Please read it if you have the time! Thx!**

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><p>"I DON'T WANT TO PACK ANYMORE!" I cried, throwing the pile of clothes I was holding on to my bed. Hermione had been dealing with meltdowns like this for the entire day, and would just chuckle at me.<p>

"Avery. We are leaving first thing in the morning. You don't really have a choice anymore! Now get your act together woman!" she scolded as she began stuffing books into her overstuffed trunk. I sighed dramatically but began to fold the pile of clothes. Unfortunately, I had never managed to master the spell that would pack my trunk.

It took me several more hours, but I was finally able to shut my trunk. The room looked so bare, and sad, as everyone had taken down their posters and their colourful bedspreads. It was kind of nice though. The year was coming to an end and everyone was buzzing with excitement over the summer. I was definitely one of those people. I could not wait to put this terrible, stressful year behind me.

I knew that this was only the beginning, though. I knew that times were going to be tough, and that I was going to be right in the midst of a war, but I was ready. I had accepted my fate, and was ready to take on the challenges that the future was going to hold. For now, though, I was content about just enjoying this brief time of peace and happiness.

"So is your family picking you up at King's Cross?" asked Hermione.

"Yeah. I wrote to Gran and told me to pick me up. Are yours?" I asked.

"Yeah. They're picking me up. We're going to drop off my trunk at home and then we're going to Paris for a few weeks," she told me.

"Oh, that's right. That's going to be so much fun," I sighed.

"Yeah, I'm getting really excited! When are you going to be coming to Ron's house?" she asked.

"Sometime in July. What about you?" I asked.

"As soon as we get back from Paris. I'm going to come straight to Ron's house!" she said. I was looking forward to spending time at the Burrow. It was one of my favourite places in the world!

Hermione and I continued to talk and joke as we went downstairs to the Great Hall for the end-of-term feast. The Hall was pretty packed by the time we got there. Harry and Ron were sitting together laughing loudly from the middle of the table. I couldn't help but smile. It was nice to see everyone happy! We slipped into the seats next to our respective boyfriends.

"Finished packing?" asked Ron.

"Of course we are! Come on! What about you guys?" I asked.

"We're getting there! We'll have it done by tomorrow!" said Ron, defensively. I laughed at his reaction.

Dumbledore waved his hands and food covered each of the house tables. It was one of the most entertaining dinners we had in a long time. We laughed continuously throughout the entire dinner, and by the end, my eyes were streaming with tears of laughter.

Finally, Dumbledore got up and made a short speech. He told us to have a good summer, and dismissed us. I was feeling full and tired, and I was grateful for my bed. I fell asleep almost right away.

The next morning, I was awoken by Hermione. I reluctantly got out of bed and dressed. Before I knew it, I was sitting in a compartment of the Hogwarts Express, on the way back to King's Cross. Ron and Hermione had to leave right away to attend their last Prefect's meeting, leaving Harry and I alone.

"How are you doing?" asked Harry, once we were alone. I could tell that his question held more meaning than it usually would. He was checking to see how I was dealing with everything that had happened over the last few days.

"I'm doing alright, Harry. A lot better than I expected to be," I said.

"I'm glad to hear that. I was worried that the stress may get to you, but I guess I should have known better," said Harry, with a chuckle. I laughed with him a little bit.

"So, did you end up talking to Athena or Adrien?" he asked me.

"Yeah, I did. I went to visit Athena yesterday afternoon. She's doing well considering everything. I saw Adrien yesterday too. He's doing great, which doesn't really surprise me," I said.

"What are their plans for the summer?" he asked.

"Well, Adrien is going home to his mom. Dumbledore has placed as many protective enchantments on the house as he can, so Adrien should be safe. As for Athena, she's going to be staying at Grimmauld Place, with Sirius," I told him. This was news to Harry.

"Really? That's great! Sirius will have some company!" he said happily. I knew that Harry felt a little bit guilty about his godfather being stuck in Grimmauld Place alone all the time.

"Yeah, she's going to be working with the Order," I explained.

"That's great. Is she going to be returning to Hogwarts next year?" he asked.

"No, I don't think so. She's going to be doing a lot of work with the Order, so I don't think she'll have time to be an assistant," I said.

"That's a shame. She was fun to have around," he shrugged.

"I know! I'm going to miss her. She was always so good at giving me advice. I'm going to be writing to her everyday, so she can help me with my problems," I joked. He rolled his eyes at me. Just then, the compartment door opened, and Ron and Hermione walked in. They sat across from us, and began complaining about some first-years, who had gotten into a fight in the hallway. We spent the rest of the trip back to King's Cross playing games and laughing. Halfway through the trip the compartment door opened again, and we were joined by Neville and Ginny.

Eventually, the train screeched to a halt. We gathered out trunks and made out way out of the train. The platform was crowded with families enthusiastically greeting their children. I stayed close to Harry, Ron and Hermione as we searched for our family.

I caught sight of bright red hair. I saw Mr. and standing a few steps away, along with Bill and Fleur. We all went to greet them. Clearly they all knew about the recent events. gave me a tender hug when I reached, and asked me if I was alright. After assuring her that I was alright, I said my goodbyes to go and find my own family.

"I'll see you all soon!" I said, giving Ron and Hermione tight hugs. I saved the last hug for Harry.

"I'm going to miss you," he whispered in my ear. I wasn't sure if I could go an entire month without seeing him.

"I'm going to miss you too. Please stay safe for the next few weeks," I begged. He chuckled into my shoulder.

"Yes, mom. I promise," he joked. I swatted his arm, but laughed along.

"Ok, I need to go find Gran," I said, sadly. He pouted for a second, before leaning down and pressing his lips to mine. I deepened the kiss, and licked his lower lip. After a few seconds, I pulled away from him.

"Now, I've really got to go! I love you, and I'll see you soon," I said.

"I love you, too," he sighed.

"Don't let the Dursleys get you down! You're going to be at Ron's house before you know it," I promised.

"If you say so," he shrugged. I leaned over and pecked his lips one last time before pushing my trolly away. I pushed it through the barrier and entered into the muggle world. I walked around the crowded platform, searching for Gran or Dylan. Finally, after a few more minutes of searching I saw them, waiting for me. I quickened my pace and approached them.

"Gran, Dylan!" I exclaimed. They greeted me happily, and hugged my tightly. After greeting me, Dylan took hold of my trunk and steered it towards the car, while Gran linked arms with me and guided me along. I felt a nice feeling of relief, as I left the wizarding world, and my problems behind me... at least for now!

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><p><strong>Hey, everyone. So, that's that. This story is done, but there will be a sequel, which will be starting tomorrow. <strong>

**First of all, I just want to thank you all for reading this story, and giving me such great feedback. I can't believe I'm going to be able to mark this story as complete today! This is my very first fanfiction, so I am so grateful that you all were so supportive and great! Really appreciate it! :D**

**Also, since this story is done, I would LOVE some feedback! If you have a moment, please review and tell me what you liked and disliked. I read them all and love to hear what you guys think! It would also be really helpful in making the sequel into something that you're all going to enjoy! THANKS! **

**Thanks again for reading. I'm so grateful! :D**


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